Central Otago’s longest running wine and food festival will return on Sunday with 17 vineyards, food, shopping and entertainment.
The Clyde Wine and Food Harvest Festival was held 25 years ago when about six local vineyards and two food stalls set up in the historic area of Clyde’s main street.
That one-off event was resurrected in 2003 by Promote Dunstan, a heritage and community group which had grown the festival into Otago’s biggest wine and food event.
The predominant wine was on offer was pinot noir but other wines would be featured include chardonnay, riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot gris, rose, cabinet merlot, marbec, white pinot noir, sparkling wine and wine cocktails made with a range of local wines and non-alcoholic mixes.
Alexandra brewery, Station Brewery, will be selling craft beers.
Nearly 20 food stalls would be setting up this year with cuisine from Italy, Mexico, Hungary, Asia, and Brazil as well as traditional favourites including bacon butties, burgers, grilled sandwiches, pretzels, fish and chips and real fruit ice-cream.
There would also be market stalls and in the Masonic Lodge, a cash and carry art exhibition by members of the Central Otago Art Society.
Set among the schist stone heritage buildings of a 19th century gold mining town the open-air venue is a delight for photographers.
Adding to the atmosphere will be music from Canadian folk singer Amy Storry McNally followed by Zephyr, a duo performing jazz and pop, then local acoustic duo, Done and Dusted.
Final act Burning Fridges will have the crowd dancing with rock’n’roll classics.
The festival is organised by Promote Dunstan and all profits from this year’s festival will go to Dunstan Hospital and the Clyde Volunteer Fire Station.