The following events were successful under the 2019 Incubator Event Fund.
Round One funding | Go to Round Two funding ↓
Highlands Beer & Cider Festival
26 – 27 January 2019, Bowral
The Highlands Beer & Cider Festival is a tasting event celebrating the diversity of craft beer and cider where visitors can sample beer and cider from more than 30 Australian brewers. Festival organisers are currently working in collaboration with specialist tour operators to offer short break Craft Beer Tours as part of the event to attract more visitors to the Southern Highlands.
www.facebook.com/highlandsbeercider
The Sunsets Music Festival
1 – 3 March 2019, Silverton
The Sunsets Music Festival is a three-day event held in the Outback town of Silverton. A family friendly event, the festival will have three main performance times to allow visitors plenty of opportunity to explore the region. The festival starts on Friday with The Bushwackers, an integral part of the Australian bush music scene for nearly four decades. This is followed on Saturday with a line-up that covers the full range of Australian country music including Troy Cassar-Daly, Sarah & Greg Storer, Catherine Britt and Fanny Lumsden. Sunday features the more laid-back vibe of Imeson’s Family Band.
www.silvertonsunsetsmusicfestival.com/bio
Rewind the Vines
23 March 2019, Griffith
Rewind in the Vines is a celebration of Australian rock icons and a showcase of the wines that put the Riverina in the global spotlight. This family-friendly festival looks back on the soundtracks of the 70s and 80s to the backdrop of famous Australian vineyards. The 2019 line-up boasts more than double the acts of its inaugural year in 2018, with live performances from The Angels, Diesel, The Black Sorrows, Choirboys, Radiators, Pacific Avenue, Happy Avenue and Side Effect. The event will serve local cuisine and over 10 different local wines curated by the Riverina Winemakers Association as well as local craft brewers serving beer and cider.
Snowy Valleys Cycling Challenge
24 March 2019, Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba
The inaugural Snowy Valleys Cycle Challenge presents an opportunity for cyclists to enjoy a varied terrain off the regular cycling track. There are three rides of different distances through the picturesque foothills and western slopes of the Snowy Mountains, known for their hills and sweeping descents with something to test every rider.
www.snowyvalleyscyclechallenge.com.au
Macksville Music Muster
28 – 31 March 2019, Macksville
The four-day Macksville Music Muster is a caravan and camping event featuring concerts, “walk –up” performances by fellow attendees, camp fire jam sessions, local food stalls, food vans and an “eat street”. The event will be held at the Macksville Showground which will offer caravan and camp sites for visitors.
www.macksvillemusicmuster.com.au
Colour New England Street Arts Festival
6 April 2019, Armidale
Colour New England Street Arts Festival will gather the local creative industries of visual arts, crafts, performance, music, theatre, writing, heritage to participate in a day of creativity and culture. The festival will showcase local talent, foster creativity and cultural tourism, connect arts and business, and engage the local community. The event celebrates the wonderful colours of autumn around the Armidale mall starting mid-morning and finishing with a light show in the evening. There will be makers’ markets, arts and crafts, exhibitions, workshops, music, performances, heritage trails and food markets.
www.armidaleregional.nsw.gov.au/council/council-events/colour-new-england-street-arts-festival
Bobby Jack’s Festival
13 April 2019, Walcha
Bobby Jack’s Festival is a music, arts and cultural not-for-profit event run by a local voluntary committee with the aim of promoting local music and arts. There will be a main stage for established music acts and a smaller stage for young talent who apply to perform on a no-audition basis. Other attractions include Welcome to Country, dance performances, puppet shows, creative workshops and free kids entertainment.
A Day in the Orchard
5 May 2019, Lake Wyangan
A Day in the Orchard is a music festival showcasing local food, wine and beer with a diverse line-up of musicians and makers. Held on the Piccolo Family Farm, a working farm with two acres of established gardens and a 100-year-old homestead, A Day in the Orchard will feature a main performance stage, an arts and culture space set in the unique Birch Forest, local food and beverage vendors and an exclusive VIP area catered by a renowned chef.
Big Country
11 May 2019, Berry
Big Country is a one day music and culture festival filled with country-style entertainment. Australian country-rock icons will soundtrack the evening, supported by a cast of upcoming stars and local talent, with a rodeo, kids’ activities and market stalls. The 2019 line-up includes Lee Kernaghan, The McClymonts, Travis Collins, Sunny Cowgirls, The Wolfe Brothers and Caitlyn Shadbolt.
LithGlow
11 May 2019, Lithgow
LithGlow delivers a modern-day acknowledgement of the innovative, pioneering and industrial history that underpins the region. Over a weekend, the event showcases and celebrates Lithgow’s remarkable story of industrial innovation dating back to the late nineteenth century. The event has a hub and spoke model with ten sites providing experiences that identify Lithgow as a location steeped in history and heritage. The hub at Blast Furnace Park will be the centrepiece of the event with markets, entertainment and food trucks. From the Blast Furnace, event attendees can take shuttle transport (if they’re not driving) to visit all the participating event sites during the course of the weekend.
World Championship Gold Buckle Campdraft
16 – 18 May 2019, Bawley Point
Now in its second year, the World Championships Gold Buckle Campdraft is hosted on the grounds of Willinga Park, a world-class equestrian centre set on 2,000 acres of the NSW South Coast in Bawley Point. It combines stunning architecture, sculptures, and a native botanical garden, with the latest in equine technology, luxury stables, and extensive facilities for training of horses. Campdrafting is a uniquely Australian sport requiring excellent skill and horsemanship and organisers call the Gold Buckle the most exciting campdrafting event in Australia.
www.willingapark.com.au/events/campdraft
Seal Rocks Adventure Festival
17 – 19 May 2019, Seal Rocks
The Seal Rocks Adventure Festival gives visitors an opportunity to try adventure experiences including self-guided bushwalks, SUPing, dodgeball, beach fishing, axe throwing, an Aboriginal interpretive walk, cycling, kayaking and other adventure-based experiences. Activities will be focused around an Adventure HQ where a main stage will offer more low-key entertainment including talks, an adventure film festival, comedy, live bands and DJs.
www.sealrocksadventurefestival.com
Mudgee Hot Air Balloon Festival
25 – 31 May 2019, Mudgee
The Mudgee Hot Air Balloon Festival is a new event that will feature the Australian Hot Air Balloon National Championships. Attracting the best pilots from around the country, the festival will include five days of competition flying over the town of Mudgee and nearby townships. Launching with an opening weekend that includes the inaugural Mudgee Night Glow at Glen Willow Stadium, this is followed on Sunday morning with Balloons and Bubbles at Blue Wren Wines. Spectators will take in the air display while enjoying a glass of locally produced sparkling on the lawns of Blue Wren Wines followed by a breakfast.
www.balloonaloft.com/mudgeefestival
Mudgeeque
1 June 2019, Mudgee
Held at Melrose Park, Mudgeeque is an event that celebrates the growing phenomenon of barbeque trends in Australia. Visitors can sample delicious meats against the backdrop of a styled barn with the warmth of fire pits against the cool of the winter night air. There will also be live acoustic tunes from local folk and blues musicians.
Lost Lanes
22 June 2019, Wagga Wagga
Lost Lanes is an arts-based event in Cadell Place and the laneways around Fitzmaurice Street in Wagga Wagga. The micro-festival showcases a range of murals and street art in various pop-up sites throughout the laneways precinct. This year, the event will have an animation theme and include live music, mobile projectors and roving street performers as well as street food and pop-up container bars serving organic donuts, wood-fired pizza, giant marshmallows, hot chocolate, winter cocktails and mulled wine.
Round Two Funding
Elephant Trail Race
19 – 21 July 2019, Port Macquarie
The Elephant Trail Race is a picturesque trail run through the beautiful Cairncross State Forest in the hinterland of Port Macquarie. Athletes have the option of 200km, 160km, 100km, 50km or 25km races in laps of a 25km course with 1,200m of elevation using tracks, trails and creek beds. There is also a 13km course and Kids Trail Race for younger participants.
Orange Winter Fire Festival
2 – 4 August 2019, Orange
The Orange Winter Fire Festival is based on the Australian cracker night bonfire tradition. It celebrates a country lifestyle where friends and family gather around a bonfire to enjoy the region’s expansive starry night skies. This year there will be events at wineries, cellar doors and orchards where visitors can rug up and enjoy food served from open fire pits, barbeques, mobile wood fire ovens and gourmet food trucks.
www.orangewinterfirefestival.com.au
Woolgoolga MTB Festival
23 – 25 August 2019, Woolgoolga
The Woolgoolga MTB Festival is a multidiscipline mountain bike festival held in the coastal town of Woolgoolga, Northern NSW. The festival consists of seven events over three days and features the 4 Stage Enduro and Cross Country All Mountain Bike Event. Participating riders will compete for a total prize pool of $10,000 in cash and prizes.
The Peter Allen Festival
5 – 8 September 2019, Tenterfield
The Peter Allen Festival will celebrate the life and music of one of Australia’s most iconic entertainers. The festival will be a three-and-a-half-day event featuring song writing, dance, theatre, performance, singing, instruments,comedy and workshops bringing to life the story of Tenterfield and Peter Allen. A headline artist will perform across the weekend as well as an official opening, jam sessions, a garden party, supper club and a gala dinner.
www.thepeterallenfestival.com.au
South Coast Food & Wine Festival
13 – 15 September 2019, Berry
The South Coast Food & Wine Festival is a new event designed to showcase the quality of food and beverages produced in the South Coast region. Over three days, the festival held in Berry will showcase 75 exhibitors of wine, cheese, breweries and coffee roasters, and offer opportunities to network, meet the producers, enjoy food and wine tours and take part in masterclasses.
www.southcoastfoodandwinefestival.com.au
Eden Caravan Muster
14 – 22 September 2019, Eden
The Eden Caravan Muster is a new event designed to attract overnight visitation from Grey Nomad caravanners during early Spring. The event is scheduled to coincide with the return of local and interstate caravanners from northern parts of Australia, as well as visitors from the Canberra region and Regional NSW. The Eden Caravan Muster will comprise a range of intimate events, experiences and activities at six caravan parks in the Eden region.
www.visiteden.com.au/event/eden-caravan-muster
Duval Dam Buster Trail Run
22 September 2019, Armidale
The Duval Dam Buster Trail Run is a running event in the picturesque Mt Duval and Dumaresq Dam areas near Armidale. At 1,400 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest peaks in the New England region that dominates the Armidale skyline. The event offers a 2.5km option for children and families, and 8km, 15km and 30km options for more adventurous participants, all set in stunning natural surrounds.
Spring Jam
28 September 2019, Wagga Wagga
Spring Jam is Wagga Wagga’s newest outdoor festival where kids can enjoy a day of circus acts, adventure play, interactive fun, live entertainment, safaris and treats. The festival will be held in the Botanic Gardens precinct, close to the zoo, miniature railway and museum, delivering hands-on experience for kids of all ages.
Sculpture on the Farm
4 – 7 October 2019, Dungog
Sculpture on the Farm is a not-for-profit sculpture exhibition held at Fosterton, a beef cattle property owned by Philippa and John Graham. The outdoor exhibition will be held in the property’s gardens and paddocks and there will also be an indoor exhibition.
GV Block Party
5 – 7 October 2019, Tongarra
The GV Block Party is a three-day mountain bike event at Greenvalleys Mountain Bike Park, 1.5 hours south of Sydney. Mountain bike riders can participate in three feature events – the Dual Slalom, NorthShore Challenge and DHaRCO Super D – as well as a series of side events which are expected to attract 600 participants and 2500 spectators to the Illawarra region.
www.greenvalleysmountainbikepark.com
Bird Haven Festival
18 – 20 October 2019, Shoalhaven Heads
The Bird Haven Festival, held the weekend before National Bird Week, celebrates birds through themes of science, education, creativity and community. Held in venues throughout Shoalhaven Heads, attendees have fun while learning about and appreciating the role of birds in cultures around the world. The festival includes talks from high-profile birders, guided birdwatching tours and workshops as well as a free bird fair and expo open to the general public.
Sand & Sea Festival
25 – 27 October 2019, Huskisson
The Sand & Sea Festival is a three-day competition where over 1,000 participants take part in multisport events including paddleboarding, kite surfing, ocean swimming, wind surfing and sailing. Held in Jervis Bay, the event showcases the incredible beaches, waterways and parks across the region. The Sand & Sea Festival encourages participants and their families and friends to spend the weekend in this unspoilt haven in NSW.
Oberon Outdoor Week
2 – 9 November 2019, Oberon
Oberon Outdoor Week is comprised of small outdoor adventure related events and activities that are inherent to the Oberon region. Key events include the Oberon Redfin Roundup, a fishing tournament at Oberon Dam, Oberon historical tours to the region’s cultural landmarks, the Oberon Rat Race, a 6km bush dash on the shores of Lake Oberon, and fossicking open days to hunt for sapphires, zircons and gold.
Shellharbour Surf & Skate Festival
6 – 15 December 2019, Shellharbour
The Shellharbour Surf & Skate Festival is a series of events, exhibitions and activities showcasing the recreational lifestyle of the Shellharbour coastal community. Designed with a distinctly local flavour, the festival’s key events include the Coast Boardriders Unite surf competition, the Board Art exhibition (with surf boards as canvases), and an Open Skate competition, and will finish with an immersive music festival at Killalea.
* Please note that events and dates are subject to change and conditions such as ticketing fees. Please check relevant event websites for details.
