July 2020
Get set for the ultimate Girls Day Out at the 2020 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers
Gathers the girls and summon the squad because the Ultimate Big Girls Day Out just dropped and it’s full of flavour, fun and flower crowns. Who needs Coachella when we have the multi-award-winning, floral-filled, flavour-led Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers!!!
The 2020 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers opens with the Heritage Bank Festival of Food & Wine over the weekend from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September. The festival showcases local produce, wines and craft beers from pastures, orchards and vineyards of South Queensland Country and features over 50 food and wine stalls, beer and BBQ demonstrations, foodie experiences and cooking demonstrations. The culinary adventure is supported by a jaw-dropping line up of music over the three days.
And ….. FLOWER CROWNS!! You can make your own, or have an expert create one for you, then wander the local produce food and wine stalls, listen to celebrity chefs, chill to some incredible tunes and take in all the famed colour and characters that make the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers the Best Major Festival or Event (seriously, it’s the reigning title holder at the Australian Tourism Awards!).
At only 90 minutes from Brisbane the Heritage Bank Food & Wine Festival is the perfect place to spend a Spring weekend with the girls! And did we mention the flowers? All 180,000+ of them!!
One day passes for the Festival are only $45pp so why not get together a posse, chip in a few bucks each and hire a mini van for the day so no one has to drive (and you can all enjoy a post-festival Nanna Nap on the trip back home). OR if you would like to make a weekend of it, a 3-day pass is $90pp. Check out accommodation options but get in quick before it books out!
Top Five things to do with your Squad at the Heritage Bank Festival of Food & Wine
Number 1 – Learn to cook like a pro with mouth-watering cooking demonstrations by Masterchef Australia 2010 winner & host of ‘Destination Flavour’, Adam Liaw (cooking demos Fri-Sun @ various times). PLUS, you can get up close and personal with Melbourne-based cook and food writer, Julia Busuttil Nishimura at The Chef’s Brunch – Sunday @ 9am (tickets through www.tcof.com.au)
Number 2 – Forget about shredding for a day and get stuck into as much local produce as you can, including low and slow BBQ followed by a few blocks of Seatonfire Chilli Chocolate. Toowoomba is (allegedly) the birthplace of the iconic Lamington so making delicious sweets is in their DNA! Just make sure you wear comfy, yet stylish, pants – you are definitely gonna need a stretchy waistband!
Number 3 – Let your hair down and dance like nobody’s watching to Indie Rock chick, Ali Barter (‘Girlie Bits’ was seriously one of the most empowering songs of 2017) on Friday night. Then connect with your inner-diva & sing your heart out during the Dusty Springfield Show (Saturday night).
Number 4 – Combine two of your FAVE things with a Wine & Cheese Appreciation Session (Fri-Sun @ various times). Bring along a responsible (and/or pregnant) friend who can be your designated driver so you can sample the delights of the twenty plus cellar doors in the Toowoomba region whilst scoffing down some mouth-watering artisan cheeses!
Number 5 – Channel your inner hippy and make a flower crown! Let’s be honest, we all love to feel like a fairy princess (or QUEENS), and the flower crown-making workshops will give you the opportunity to look just as glorious as the breathtaking floral displays across the city
Blooming wonderful!
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers September 18 to 27, 2020
Program, tour information and accommodation detail at www.tcof.com.au or on www.facebook.com.au/CarnivalFlowers