- This page was last modified on 5 June 2025, at 18:39. Suggest an edit.
Apple & Grape Harvest Festival facts for kids
| Apple & Grape Harvest Festival | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Begins | February 23, 2024 |
| Ends | March 3, 2024 |
| Frequency | Biennial |
| Location(s) | Stanthorpe, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 28°39′17″S 151°56′06″E / 28.6547°S 151.935°E |
| Country | Australia |
| Years active | 59 |
| Inaugurated | 1966 |
| Attendance | 50,000 |
The Apple & Grape Harvest Festival is a super fun event held in Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia. It happens every two years, which means it's a "biennial" festival. This exciting event lasts for 10 days in early March.
It's one of Queensland's oldest festivals, starting way back in 1966. The festival celebrates the amazing fruits and wines grown in the Granite Belt region. More than 50,000 people usually come to enjoy the fun!
Some of the cool things you can see and do include:
- Grape crushing (yes, with your feet!)
- A big food and wine party
- Live music performances
- Apple peeling competitions
- A grand parade with floats
- Fireworks displays
- Local markets with lots of goodies
History of the Apple & Grape Festival
The Apple & Grape Harvest Festival has a cool history. It actually grew out of an older event called the Apple Blossom Festival. That festival started from even earlier celebrations in 1954 called "Back to Stanthorpe Week."
A really popular part of the festival, the Queensland Grape Crushing Championships, began in 1984. People love to watch or even join in this messy but fun event!
For many years, the festival would start with a special ball. At this ball, a "Festival Queen" and "Charity Queen" were chosen. These young women would represent the Stanthorpe area for the next two years. In 2002, this tradition changed. It became the "Young Ambassador" program, and now both young men and women can take part.
In 2009, Queensland celebrated its 150th birthday, called Q150. As part of these celebrations, the Apple & Grape Harvest Festival was named one of the Q150 Icons. This means it's recognized as a very important "event and festival" for Queensland.
What to Expect at the 2024 Festival
The Apple & Grape Harvest Festival is coming back in 2024! It will run from February 23rd to March 3rd. Get ready for lots of excitement!
One of the main highlights is the Queensland Country Bank Food and Wine Fiesta. This big food party happens on the final weekend, from March 1st to 3rd. The Grand Parade, a spectacular finale, also takes place on this weekend.
A super popular event is the public grape crushing. You can even try crushing grapes yourself! There's also the Celebrity Grape Crushing Championships, where famous people compete. This fun event is sponsored by Balancing Heart Vineyard.
If you love music, you're in luck! The finals of the Australian National Busking Championships will be held during the festival. This exciting competition takes place on February 23rd, 2024.