If your love language is a plate piled high, or the way to your heart is a home cooked meal, then this festival is sure to get your mouth watering. 10 days of fresh food feasting, dedicated to hero-ing the rockstars putting their heart and souls into feeding the nation, producing 25% of Australia’s fresh fruit and veg.
Here’s our picks for this years Taste Bundaberg Festival! Think of it like an 8 course degustation of the tastiest events. The icing on the cake? We’ve included so many more experiences from around the region to tickle your taste buds! Our equivalent of a wine pairing if you will, just some food for thought as you plan your getaway 😉
So stretchy pants on, knives and forks at the ready, let’s dig in to Taste Bundaberg Festival 2023.
Saturday 5th August | 7.00am – 2.00pm | Bundaberg Recreational Precinct
Meet the makers at the Taste Farmers Market, where you come face-to-face with the legends growing, brewing, distilling and creating 365 days of the year. Genuine, down to earth people (seriously, they’re elbow deep in soil most days) who are more than happy to have a yarn and share the local must-do’s. Here, our talented local chefs will take to the cooking demo stage, alongside celebrity chefs Kirsten Tibballs and Mark Olive to showcase the regions produce through tantalising and innovative recipes.
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Weave your way through the region, one foodie trail at a time. Straight from the farm to your kitchen, taste the freshness on the tip of your tongue as you prepare a feast for the senses with freshly picked strawberries, mouth-watering macadamias, fresh figs and more. Click here to choose your foodie trails, and buckle up for a mouth-watering road trip.
Flowers & Bubbles Masterclass
Saturday 5th August | 2.00pm – 4.00pm | One Little Farm
Anthony and Kate Rehbein are following one big dream - of showcasing a true paddock-to-plate philosophy; local farmers, sharing their passion for quality produce, low food miles, delicious coffee and bespoke floral arrangements through the doors of One Little Farm. Over a glass of bubbles and afternoon tea, channel your inner florist and create your own bespoke floral arrangement, guided by Kate and the team. Sounds like a blooming lovely afternoon if you ask us! Click here to book your tickets!
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Flower Farm Tour
Saturday 12th August | 9.00am – 12.00pm | One Little Farm
On this one-of-a-kind tour, you’ll delve into the local farming history over coffee and cake, before heading out onto the farm with Anthony, where you’ll roll up your sleeves, and get stuck in planting flowers, learn about the hydroponic facility, and pick some beautiful blooms to take home with you. Book your tickets here.
The Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Barrel
Or if it’s the bubbles that piqued your interest, why not carry on your foray into fizz, and pop next door to the Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Barrel. Here you can discover the secret to crafting these fresh, iconic and downright delicious brews, in the beating heart of sugar cane country.
Seafood & Sounds
Saturday 5th August | 6.00pm – 10.00pm | Lighthouse Hotel
Cheers to a good time! The Lighthouse Hotel is a mecca for line ups of cracking local musos, and this event will be no different, so take it easy, soak up the sea breeze in the beer garden, and chow down on a scrumptious 3-course seafood feast. Book your tickets here.
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Speaking of seafood.. dive on into the crystal-clear waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, where giant marine life and jaw-dropping encounters are a-plenty! Sitting off the cost of Bundaberg are the two ladies of the reef, Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave Island. Spend a day exploring these pristine secluded coral cays or stay few nights and wake up to the sun rising over the coral reefs.
Long Table at the Strawberry Farm
Monday 7th August | 5.45pm – 8.30pm | Bargara Berries
Bargara Berries is a small, family-owned and run farm, that’s been in the hearts of our community since 1988. This year, Mick and Debbie are throwing open the farm gates for a Long Table foodie experience (and I’m sure you’ll see why 75% of their fruit, those sweet bush-ripened berries, are snapped up by locals at the farm stall!) Book your ticket here!
Bargara Berries are also serving up a number of tours and tastings for Taste Bundaberg Festival from Pick Your Own in the paddocks, to learning the ins and outs on a farm tour.
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Dessert Trail
Weave your way from one sweet spot to another, guided by Taste Bundaberg Festivals tantalizing trail of delicious desserts. Fig & Macadamia Pizza at Bella M’s, Artisan Gelato at Nana’s Pantry, Bundaberg Rum & Ginger Fudge at Cha Cha Chocolate’s, and oh so much more!
The Windmill’s Golden Ticket Search
Wednesday 9th August | 3.30pm – 6.30pm | Windmill Café Bargara
Something for your little ones! The gorgeous teams behind the Windmill Café Bargara and Cha Cha Chocolate have joined forces to create an afternoon filled with fun for those with smaller tums. Make-your-own-pizzas, lolly bags and before embarking on the ultimate treasure hunt to find The Windmill Golden Ticket! Book your tickets here!
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Beach Babes
After all of the fun and craziness, you may need to let the kids run off their sugar highs, and where better that the wide open stretches of sand that dot our coastline. Whether you’re snorkeling at The Basin, playing mermaids at Elliott Heads or building sandcastles at Oaks, there are so many beautiful beaches to discover.
Gin & Pie Day
Saturday 12th August | 2.00pm – 10.00pm | Kalki Moon Distillery
The Taste Bundaberg Festival spirit will be in full swing as local businesses band together for Gin & Pie Day. We’re talking Kalki Moon’s beautiful botanic gins, the iconic Chic’s Pies, brews from Ballistic Brewing Co, Ohana’s Cheeky Tiki Ciders and wine from Moffatdale Ridge in the South Burnett. Whether you fancy a little Bite of Bundy, or a seat at The Great Bundaberg Feast, we've created the ultimate packages for you to enjoy Taste Bundaberg Festival - Cheers to that!
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Tipple Tours
Sip and swirl your way through the cellar doors of the region, one tipple at a time. Blend Your Own Rum at the iconic Bundaberg Rum Distillery, sample the fresh fizzy flavours of Australia’s favourite brew at the Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Barrel, get a taste of the tropics at Ohana Winery, savour a schooner of craft beer at Ballistic Bargara and consume cocktails at Kalki Moon.
Bundaberg Shuttle Service have the role of designated driver covered, and will transport you from cellar door to cellar door, with a bit of banter and local insight en route.
Four Kitchens
Saturday 12th August | 6.30pm – 9.30pm | Jayteens Park
With sounds of the ocean as your soundtrack (and maybe a whalesong or two), immerse yourself in the flavours of the region, as 4 local restaurants offer up a unique dining experience, beneath genuine Nordic tipis on the shores of Bargara. Which dining experience will you choose? Italian plant-based eats from the kitchen of the Sabotuer Chef; bush tucker and native tastes served up by Taribelang Aboriginal Corporation; a feast of fresh local produce from The Windmill Café Bargara; or a delicious dish from the team at Somewhere To Eat. Decisions, decisions! If you're looking to make life just a smidge easier for yourself, then why not check out our Taste Bundaberg Festival packages here, jam-packed with events and experiences for you to enjoy.
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Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours
If the native flavours of bush tucker sparked your interest in the regions rich indigenous history, then boy oh boy are you going to love this! Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours is an immersive Indigenous experience, unique to the Bundaberg Region, sharing the history and culture of their people, spanning more than 60,000 years. The half-day tour visits important sites around the region to share stories of Dreamtime, the lore of the land and storytelling passed down from the Elders. A moving introduction to Bundaberg’s vibrant First Nations culture, the Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow tours run every Tuesday and Saturday.
Farm Flavours Picnic
Sunday 13th August | 11.00am – 3.00pm | Macadamias Australia
Always a stand-out in the Taste Bundaberg Festival program, Macadamia Australia’s Farm Flavours Picnic is back again! Surrounded by sunshine, live music fills the orchard, with laid back vibes, clear blue skies and a delicious feast of local produce are the perfect recipe for a cracking good time. Tick this stellar event off your Bundy bucket list with one of our Taste Bundaberg Festival packages - you'd be nuts not to click here!
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Macadamias Australia
Macadamias Australia is open for you to explore year-round! Wander through the world-class Visitor Experience, learning the history of this family business from towering totems, try a true tree-to-table lunch at on-site café, The Orchard Table and join the knowledgeable tour guides on a walk along the original orchard.
Consider this your invitation to roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, pile your plates high and leave your glasses empty, and join us at Taste Bundaberg Festival.