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Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Festival
by Jennifer Stewart Every two years, Stanthorpe is host to a festival that celebrates the produce of this Granite Belt district. Organisers this year say that over 100,000 visitors came to sample the fruits, wines and other products and to enjoy a multitude of activities that now make up the Festival. The events run over ten days across the last week in February and the first week in March and began this year with a Summer Raceday at Armstrong Park, a seven-a-side soccer competition, rugby union, bowls and golf tournaments. There was also an Old-Time Dance and a disco for younger revellers. During the week, visitors enjoyed tours to the many local wineries and strolling through the business district, admiring the decorated windows and generally making the most of this prosperous town's amenities. Council has upgraded parklands along Quart Pot Creek, which runs through the centre of Stanthorpe, providing sheltered picnic spots to enjoy fresh bread from the Quart Pot Bakery, washed down by a jug of wine from one of the local vineyards. The second weekend is the main part of the festival and begins with the Festival Ball on Friday night, the Grand Parade through town on Saturday and the Mardi Gras and Wine Fiesta in the Park all day Saturday and Sunday. Local wineries set up tents and sell their specialty wines by the glass or bottle. There are food stalls that provide Italian and Greek delicacies as well as the old favourites of steak sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs. Festival organisers provide hundreds of free tables and chairs that can be arranged under the shade of the park's trees - and for many groups this is a traditional way to spend the day. It's common to find family groups and friends from far away arriving with cushions, rugs and more chairs to settle themselves in for the day's entertainment. Musical entertainment suits all tastes from the rock bands playing on stages in the main street, to pipe bands, Italian folk singers and Latin American dancers at the three separate venues in the park. There is also a variety of roving entertainment, this year including the Memphis Moovers, The Elvises, Fiesta Tropicale, English Bobbies, stilt walkers and the Crowd Comfort Patrol. On Saturday and Sunday, there are street stalls selling fresh local produce, crafts and more food!
Stanthorpe has built on its agricultural base as a leading grape and apple district and now boasts a growing tourism industry. Apart from motel style accommodation, such as the Vines Motel ( thevines@halenet.com.au ), there are now numerous Bed and Breakfast cottages to suit all needs and budgets.Colonial Overnight Accommodation: http://www.stanthorpecottages.comBallandean Cottage: http://www.halenet.com.au/~ballodge/Mt Tully Cottage: http://www.wildermuth.com.auDas Helwig Haus: http://www.webstation.com.au/accom/helwig/Happy Valley Vineyard Retreat: http://www.halenet.com.au/~happyv/Diamondvale B&B Cottages: http://www.halenet.com.au/~diamond/Cypress Ridge Country Cottages: http://www.halenet.com.au/~cypress/Back Creek Mountain Cabins: http://www.halenet.com.au/~johnson/index.htmlThere are many more, visit the Stanthorpe Tourist Bureau for more information. If you're only planning a day trip (Stanthorpe is a leisurely three hour drive from Brisbane and 21/2 hours from the Gold coast), then you can stop by one of the district's many wineries. Ballandean Estate Winery: http://www.ballandean-estate.com.auBungawarra Vineyards: http://www.queensland-holidays.com.au/pfm/sites/0000762/main.htmOr the Bramble Patch Berry Gardens: http://www.queensland-holidays.com.au/pfm/sites/0000979/main.htm Check with the Tourist Centre for leaflets and maps to the other wineries http://www.halenet.com.au/~tourism/, or consider a tour.The Grape Escape Tours: http://www.halenet.com.au/~bossh/For more information on the Apple and Grape Festival - or for details about how you can be a sponsor for the next festival: http://www.appleandgrape.org/
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