This verdant region, sitting amongst rolling hills, just 45 minutes inland from Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, is today one of Australia’s great food bowls. The fertile soil, and microclimates, allow for an extraordinary variety of produce to be nurtured that end their journey on some of Australia’s finest restaurant tables.
Once upon a time, the Mary Valley was ‘pineapple and green bean’ central, along with a thriving dairy industry, but now it is home to organic beef, macadamia plantations, avocado, persimmon, edible bamboo, pumpkin, goat cheese, leafy greens and edible native plants, along with traditional pineapples, beans and dairy.
GourMay Mary Valley is a month-long celebration of the people who create, grow, and harvest fine produce. The Festival officially commences on Wednesday, 1 May 2024 with an Opening Ceremony held at Honeybee Wellness Retreat, featuring the Mary Valley Variety Show.
Festival Highlights
The following weeks will be filled with feature dinners, produce demonstrations, workshops, and competitions, including:
- WINE LAUNCH: WindRush Estate will partner with Kandanga Farm Store to launch the vintage 2023 Tempranillo
- WINE LUNCHES: Dingo Creek will host Vintners Lunch
- FOOD FESTIVAL: Kenilworth Family Fun Day including the Great Mary Valley Camper Damper. Think Mary Valley – Think Camping – Think Damper! Plus a Children’s fruit & vegetable sculpture competition.
- CAMPFIRE DINING/MUSIC: ‘Bellbird and back…a taste of the trail’ involves a gentle half-hour stroll along the Mary Valley Rail Trail to a bellbird habitat where a campfire dinner with local foods and music awaits.
- CAMPFIRE COOKING: show off your Camp Oven cooking skills at our inaugural Mary Valley Camp Oven Competition
- HERITAGE railway the Mary Valley Rattler will operate its Tasting Train and Picnic Train throughout May. The Silver Bullet will team up with Creative Tours on a scenic journey through the valley stopping at local farms for a Taste of the Mary Valley.
- WILD MACADAMIAS – Learn the story of the macadamia nut. Its origins are in the Mary Valley, and the Macadamia Conservation Trust will take you on a walk through the home of the macadamia.
- LONG LUNCH – Savour the flavours of bushfood with Peter Wolfe at Kandanga Farm Store or the ethically grown produce at Woollahra Homestead.
In addition, there will be film nights based around food themes, and Kenilworth ArtsFest is offering a $2000 prize for the best artwork featuring Mary Valley food and production.
Imbil will once again host Festival Day on Saturday 25 May 2024, with Sunshine Coast Foodie, Martin Duncan as MC. The day will include cooking demonstrations, market stalls and conversations with local food legends. Bushfood expert Peter Wolf will share some tips on how to get the best from native ingredients.
The highlight of Festival Day will be once again the Great Mary Valley Cooking Challenge pitting four locals in a Mystery Box/ Ready Steady Cook challenge. The winning creation will be crowned GourMay Mary Valley ‘Dish of the Year’ and its creator ‘GourMay Mary Valley Cook of the Year 2024’.
GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival 2024 will end with a spectacular Gala dinner. The menu will showcase the diversity of produce that is grown and produced locally, with entertainment including a live band, DJ, and a special ‘surprise’ performance from Internationally acclaimed entertainers.
For full program and booking details: https://www.gourmaymaryvalley.com.au/
The Mary Valley GourMay Festival is being made possible through the support of the Mary Valley Chamber of Commerce, Gympie Council, Queensland Hydro, Vintitech, Headstart Electrical and many other local operators. They have partnered with Slow Food Noosa whose ethos of ‘Good, Clean and Fair’ matches the valley’s commitment to quality and environmentally responsible.