South East Food Festivals kick off this weekend
South Australia’s Limestone Coast is getting set to welcome an influx of visitors with festivals showcasing the region’s local produce in February and March.
A combined total of nearly 4,000 visitors are expected to attend Taste the Limestone Coast Festival tomorrow, and the Beachport Crayfish Festival next month.
The events, which are supported by the State Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission’s Regional Event Fund, are set to showcase the very best of the Limestone Coast’s produce including seafood and wine.
After a three-year hiatus, Taste the Limestone Coast returns to the region this Saturday, held in the town of Naracoorte. It will offer visitors tastes from award- winning wineries, breweries and gourmet food producers from across the Limestone Coast, as well as music and entertainment for all ages. Visitors will have good reason to linger longer on the Limestone Coast, with the festival coinciding with the Naracoorte Cup also on this weekend, on Sunday 11 February.
Next month, the Beachport Crayfish Festival will celebrate all things crayfish and is expected to draw around 2,500 eventgoers for its second iteration on 2 March.
Offering a great day out for the whole family, there will be live local music, crayfish cooking demonstrations, a tug of war, face painting, mini golf, and Go Karts for the kids, as well as plenty of opportunities to enjoy local food and drink with 29 vendors to choose from.
Local crayfish proved popular at the event when it first ran in 2022, selling so much event organisers have doubled the order for this year’s event. All crayfish is sourced from the Southern Zone Southern Rock Lobster Fishery in South Australia.
In 2024, eventgoers can expect to try crayfish a number of ways including crayfish paella, BBQ crayfish, crayfish ceviche, and more.
“I’m delighted to see both Taste the Limestone Coast Festival and Beachport Crayfish Festival back in 2024, bringing a valuable boost to South Australia’s south-east,” said Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison,
“The State Government is proud to support these events through the South Australian Tourism Commission’s Regional Event Fund, which are set to contribute to tourism expenditure in the Limestone Coast which is currently worth $558 million.
Regional events such as these are great for local communities. Not only do they showcase the very best that Naracoorte and Beachport have to offer, but they give eventgoers a reason to stay and see more of the Limestone Coast, which creates flow on benefits to local businesses like accommodation providers, pubs and cafes, to the local service station.”
