The Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival is back on the menu in 2022 in the heart of Queensland’s Granite Belt Wine Country.
Prepare your palate and raise your glass to see the region go into full #HarvestMode and celebrate 150 years of Stanthorpe in 2022.
Join the odd 60,000 who converge on the town biennially (that’s every two years) for the festival that’s been ‘crushing it’ since 1966.
When is it?
As per the name, the festival is a celebration during the harvest of the Granite Belt’s apples and grapes. Timing varies from season to season, but from February through to April, harvest mode is in full swing with apples and grapes ripe and ready to be picked.
Whether you’re here to play for a weekend or the full festival, you’ll be guaranteed a feast for all senses.
How to get there
Three hours along the bitumen from Brisbane or the Gold Coast will get you to Stanthorpe in a scenic morning’s drive. And with less time in the car, that means more festival time.
Follow the New England Highway for 62km through the heart of the Granite Belt from Dalveen and The Summit to Stanthorpe, Glen Alpin, Balladeen and beyond.
Coming from the south? Just follow the New England Highway, crossing the NSW/ Queensland border into Granite Belt Country at Wallangarra, 20km north of Tenterfield.
As you make your way towards Stanthorpe, wind down the windows to take in that fresh clean air.
Pack light, we know you’ll be bringing some local goods home with you (and don’t say we didn’t warn you).
Where to stay
There’s as much variety in accommodation as there are apple varieties grown in Stanthorpe and surrounds. Whether it’s cosey cabins, luxury holiday houses for a group or camping under the stars you’re looking for, be sure to book in early.
Don’t be too alarmed to find central accommodation to the festival already snapped up. If you have look a little further, there’s plenty to choose from within less than 20 minutes drive to Stanthorpe.
Wherever you choose to rest your head, support local and book with accommodation operators directly.
Find available local accommodation here.
Continuing reading on here how to find a place to stay during the festival.
What’s on
It’s not every year you get to celebrate a 150th birthday. In 2022, the wine and cider are sure to be flowing with the festival coinciding with the town’s Stanthorpe sesquicentennial anniversary.
You can find the 150 years of Stanthorpe Exhibition at the Civic Centre.
Ten days, stretching over two weekends… here’s a breakdown:
First Weekend (25 – 27 February)
The festivities get underway with the streets of Stanthorpe lighting up in the opening Street Party and buskers taking to the sidewalks on Saturday 26th February to compete for the Australian Busking Championship.
Stanthorpe’s Italian heritage fruits at their Banchetto Italiano. The four-course lunch with a traditional Italian flare has tickets selling out within moments.
The Big Weekend (4 – 6 March)
Ready to get messy? Jump in for a barrel of no-shoes-required fun in the iconic Public Grape Crush or watch familiar faces stomp their way to victory in the Celebrity Crush.
Is fitness your forte? Sign yourself up for the local Parkrun, the Crisp Coaches 2-Ball Ambrose or Mt Marlay Fun Run. With all those calories burnt, there’s room for more food right?
Queensland Country Bank Food and Wine Fiesta runs the course of the whole weekend, giving you the chance to sample, sip and swirl the local flavours. Kids are free too and we bet they’ll be heading straight for the Kids Zone inside the fiesta.
Throughout the week
If baking is your jam mark Apple Day in your calendar (Thursday 3rd March). Bring your best baked apple pie with homemade pastry and fresh apples to the table.
Cooking demonstrations, markets, farm tours, artist exhibitions… you can find the full program for 2022 right here.
Save time to explore the Granite Belt
For those that love a dose of nature and jaw-dropping views, packing your hiking shoes is a must when coming to Stanthorpe. The town is blessed to neighbour Girraween National Park where the 3.6km (return) calve-burning hike up the Pyramid Track will quite literally take your breath away.
If you’re here for the wine, you’re in the right place – we’re Australia’s most rewarded wine region! Jump in the car or join a guided tour to the local winery trails. Quench your thirst for something new and exciting by pursuing the Strange Birds, discovering wines that you’ve never tasted.
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