Thousands of people are expected to flock to South Australia’s first coastal, progressive food and wine festival held on the shores of Port Noarlunga and Christies Beach this Saturday.
Entry to the City of Onkaparinga’s Beachside Food and Wine Festival is just a gold coin.
A highlight of the festival will include an exclusive, one-off, live performance from 2014 X-Factor finalist Reigan Derry at 8pm at Port Noarlunga.
The exciting, progressive festival kicks off at Christies Beach at 10am and runs until 3pm before continuing at Port Noarlunga from 2pm to 10pm.
Festival goers will be spoilt for choice with world-class wines, sumptuous culinary choices, market stalls, live entertainment, fashion parades and a celebrity concert. Nearly 100 site holders are participating, offering a range of products, activities and experiences from frozen beer to bespoke donut design.
“The festival is the perfect opportunity for our communities and businesses to come together, attracting visitors from across South Australia and interstate to our beautiful region to enjoy some of the best food and wines our state has to offer,’’ City of Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg said.
“Holding the festival in the neighbouring coastal townships, Christies Beach and Port Noarlunga, lets us showcase two of our stunning coastal nodes and their unique offerings.”
“Our local businesses have come out in strength to support the festival and proudly display their world-class offerings for everyone to enjoy at this truly unique event.”
Christies Beach will have a strong family focus with a dedicated kid’s zone offering a range of fun activities including a playground, giant sandpit, a massive interactive inflatable shark and a merry-go-round which are sure to delight children for hours.
The stage area will host a range of performers and entertainers between 10am and 3pm starting with Chris VanderHook, Alice Haddy and band Capitol Swing. A fashion parade will follow at 1.30pm showing the latest trends in designer labels, cocktail attire and surf and skate wear.
Festivities at Port Noarlunga will kick off at 2pm with live entertainment, pony and camel rides and more than 60 stalls offering world-class wine and food as well as art and craft.
Tongue and Groove, Cosmo Thundercat and Chloe Castledine will keep the place jumping with their live entertainment on the Port Noarlunga stage, which also includes a fashion parade at 4pm.
An Air Diffusion Agencies Ice Skating Rink with over 150sqm of synthetic ice will be held in the Port Noarlunga Surf Life Saving Club car park. It will be open from Friday 17 April between 10am to 6pm and Saturday 18 April from 10am to 10pm. The 30-minute sessions are $15 for adults (concession $10) and $10 for children aged 3-12 including skate hire.
The Arts Centre at Port Noarlunga will also be a hive of activity with an art exhibition, sidewalk chalk drawings, face painting and loads of other family fun.
Coinciding with the Beachside Food and Wine Festival is Sand Sculpting Australia’s Disney Princesses and Pirates Exhibition on the Port Noarlunga foreshore. Saturday and Sunday will be the last days people can visit the much-loved exhibition.
On Saturday, the sculptures will be open until 10pm for an extended viewing and will culminate with a special light projection and music show at dusk, bringing to life Frozen’s Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, Captain Hook, Cinderella and others.
Wrapping up the festival for families, is the seaside cinema at Rotary Park. The re-animated 1953 Disney classic Peter Pan will be shown providing the perfect opportunity for parents to wind down with their children. Gates open at 6.30pm with the movie starting at 8pm and the cost of entry is a gold coin.
Visitors to the festival and exhibition also have the chance to win a family holiday to Disneyland in Hong Kong, valued at over $7000.
The City of Onkaparinga initiative, supported by Phil Hoffman Travel and Cathay Pacific, includes the prize of return economy airfares (two adults and two children), two day park pass and three night’s accommodation at Disneyland, land transfers and four night’s accommodation in Hong Kong.
To enter just collect an entry form with the purchase of your Sand Sculpture Exhibition ticket and spend $20 locally in a participating store or a festival site before the exhibition finishes on Sunday 19 April.
Simply drop your validated entry form into the competition box at one of the participating stores, a Beachside Food and Wine Festival entry point or the Sand Sculpting Exhibition ticket booth to be eligible to win. The winner will be drawn on Monday 4 May and be notified by phone.
Road closures and reduced speed limits will be in place during the festival and extra parking will be provided on River Road, Port Noarlunga.
A free bus shuttle service will transfer festival-goers between Christies Beach and Port Noarlunga and buses will also run every 30 minutes (between 9.30am and 10.30pm) from the following locations:
- Christies Beach: Bus stop 68 Beach Rd and stop 69 Witton Road.
- Port Noarlunga: Noarlunga Centre Interchange; stop 73 Saltfleet Street and River Road car park.
There will also be free, chauffeured Rosemount Rickshaw bikes for those wanting a more intimate experience of the area. The bikes will operate at Christies Beach between 10am and 3pm and at Port Noarlunga from 2pm to 10pm.
For the full event program, including events, times, road closures and car parking visit www.onkaparingacity.com/majorevents
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