Wine and Food In The Park is a relaxed and happy affair.
There's certainly no need to dress up (though you're very welcome to and
some people now make it a point to dress up a little whackily for the Festival).
But most people simply wear whatever feels comfortable.
If you're planning on a full day of fun, though, it's probably wise to slop
on a bit of sunscreen and bring along a hat.
A lot of people also like to bring along folding chairs,
umbrellas, water bottles and perhaps string bags to
hold their wine purchases. Plastic cups (not glass!) are also a good
idea if you want to sip drinks.
And naturally, you can bring along a throw rug if you want to dine
out in the Park (the wide variety of inexpensive food in the Food Court will
please almost anyone - all meals are served with disposable containers and
cutlery).
There are also plenty of toilet facilities in the grounds, including
disabled facilities at the William Street end of the Park.
Buy An Album
On The Day!
If you like our lead acts and want to take their music home with you as a
lasting reminder of a really top day out, you can!
Last year Wine & Food In The Park introduced a new service where
we encourage our artists to bring their albums along with them and sell
autographed copies to fans on the day.
So if you like an artist and would like to get a copy of their album, just
come to the WAFITP Water Stand inside the Giant Wine Tent.
Meet Our Festival MC
Wine & Food In The Park's 2012 entertainment schedule has been organised
by popular announcer and DJdirex DJ Michael Monk.
Michael is already well-known for his knock-out DJdirex dance parties
and you can hear him on air regularly on several local radio stations too.
Mike is also Wine & Food In The Park's Entertainment Director and is
responsible for organising all of this year's great Festival line-up.
In addition to superb food and wine, this year's South Burnett Wine &
Food In The Park Festival has a jam-packed program of live music
and family entertainment running right through the day and late into the
night.
The Gold Coast-based Mason Rack Band are known for their a swampy
blues-rock sound and sensational on-stage performances. The band's influences
include flashes of Tom Waits, Jimi Hendrix, Tex Perkins,
Jeff Buckley and Muddy Waters with roots extending to Ben
Harper. Throw in some slide guitar, raspy vocals, a rocking bluesy bass,
massive drum percussion and the result is a spectacular kaleidoscope of musical
genres. The Mason Rack Band have toured Canada five times (2011's concerts
were completely sold out) and will be touring Europe in 2012. They've also
played all of Australia's major festivals and last year took out the QBS
award for Australia's best touring act. Don't miss these guys!
Sunshine Coast country rock band The Rain sound a lot like The
Eagles and Counting Crows, but they've been inspired by influences
as diverse as Neil Young, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Big House and Led Zeppelin.
And in the years since they were formed in 2003 they've cut two albums, recorded
soundtracks for movies and a US-based TV series, and had a stand-out reception
at 2011's Tamworth Country Music Festival. They've also appeared at
the Gympie Music Muster, Mud Bulls and Music, the Noosa Country Music Festival,
the Urban Country Music Festival and many others. And in 2012 - for the very
first time - they'll be appearing at the Wine & Food In The Park Festival
to deliver their super-smooth country sound to a whole new audience.
Make them welcome, gang!
Alvin Rostant (also know as Jahbutu) is from the Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago and began his musical career at 14 playing steel drums with his father's
band Free French Steel Orchestra. Then he toured the world as a pan player
and vocalist before settling in Australia where he's toured and played at
all the major cities and many big festivals including the Woodford Folk
Festival; the Carnival of Flowers; Warana; Tropicarnival
on the Gold Coast, Expo88 and the Adelaide Arts Festival.
Alvin gave everyone a real lift when he performed on the main stage
at Wine & Food In The Park last year. So we've asked him to come back
with his band and give us his waaay cool show again.
South Burnett blues legends The Blues Excuse have been treading the
boards in south-east Queensland for more than 10 years. But it's been a
worthwhile walk because every year they just keep sounding better!
And after the band's sensational collaboration with Doc Span and Ross
Williams at the 2011 Festival we've asked them to come back again to
perform a knockout set in their own right. The band sound mind-blowingly
good plugged into the Festival's mega sound system. And if you want to have
your socks blown right off make sure you don't miss them!
Blue Room Blues
Toowoomba-based Blue Room Blues last appeared at Wine & Food In
The Park in 2010, where they made a solid impression with their pared-back
no-nonsense blues and relaxed approach. Blue Room Blues are regulars
on the Toowoomba and Southern Downs music circuits but not often heard in
the South Burnett. So we've asked them back for 2012 to give us another taste
of the style that keeps them busy with the boogie all over the Darling Downs.
The Kingaroy SHS Stage Band
Kingaroy State High School's Stage Band is unlike any other school band you're
ever likely to hear. Led by the brilliant Matt Phillips, this band
has dazzled crowds with their talent wherever they've played. The
Kingaroy State High School Stage Band performed to an enthusiastic reception
at the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Festivals and this year (by popular demand) we've
invited them back for a record fourth time in a row. Why? Because
these tremendously talented South Burnett youngsters make us
proud! You can catch them on stage early in the day as they set the
tempo for another up-beat year.
And
Street Performers To
Make You Smile!
Of course, Wine & Food In The Park isn't just about great
wine, sensational food and fantastic music. Another thing
everyone loves about our Festival are the whacky,
rib-tickling street performers who constantly wend their way through
the crowds, tower over us in stilts; stack themselves up in pyramids before
our eyes; jump through flaming hoops; or just generally amuse us with their
side-splitting antics.
Part of the fun of Wine & Food in The Park is that it's simply
impossible to be uninvolved when the Festival's performers come out to
meet you in person. And sometimes you can't be sure if you're really
seeing a street performer or just someone who's even more deeply into Wine
& Food In The Park than you are...
Performers you can look forward to seeing in 2012 include:
Those zany acrobats who stole our hearts over many, many years are
back yet again by popular request. The Monsters have become a much-loved
feature of Wine & Food In The Park and these wonderfully talented
performers will be returning in 2012 to entrance and delight us all over
again with their charming characters and eye-popping acrobatics. If you've
never seen Monster Blonde before, you'll be delighted when you do. And if
you have, this year they promise us they'll be doing something totally
new that they've never done at Wine & Food In The Park before.
So who will they be this year? Your guess is as good as ours...
The Wanderers left us in stitches when they performed at the 2008
and 2010 Festivals. So we've asked them to come back again in 2012 to show
us a whole new range of characters and some of their rolled gold
favourites (like the incredibly suave Disco Dazzlers pictured
at right). The Wanderers will be walking through the crowd at intervals right
through the day and paying a visit to every nook and cranny in the grounds.
So remember: you may be able to run but you can't hide... and
these lovable lunatics will extract their toll of laughter from you sometime
during the day!
The Slack Taxi Acrobatic Bouncers have to be seen to be believed.
These outrageous acrobats first got together in 2001 and since then they've
performed everywhere from WOMAdelaide to the Singapore Grand
Prix, Japan 's Universal Studios and all over Australia. This
year they're bringing their outrageous show to Wine & Food In The Park
for the very first time and we know you'll make them welcome.
You'll laugh as they bounce and cartwheel past you (give them room!) and
be amazed at just how graceful men strapped into giant rubber balls can be...
or not. You can get a preview of what to expect in the video at right.
We were heart-broken when brilliant young circus stars Rhett and
T'la had to cancel their 2011 Wine & Food In The Park appearance
at the last minute because of an injury sustained at the Adelaide
Arts Festival. But they're all healed up now so we've asked them back in
2012 to give us another of their great sets of shows. This time around they'l
be giving us two performances of the Kit & Kaboodle Show - a really
funny circus kids comedy show!! – and another of their brand new The
Rhett & T’La Mini Traditional Circus Show (a little more serious
with fire-twirling, acrobatics, plate spinning, a spectacular unicycle ballet
and - of course! - clowning). You can get a glimpse of just some of the things
to expect in the attached video.
In addition to appearing on the main stage, the Jahbutu Calypso Band will
also be touring the grounds, adding their infectious Caribbean
rhythms to the spirit of the day. Feel like dancing along?
These consummate steel drum musicians don't mind! In fact, they know how
to make you feel like dancing even if you don't think you're in the mood.
The Wine & Food In The Park festival has always been about big variety
in wines, food, music and entertainment. It's also about friends, family
and good times. And we think these Sultans of Soca fit right in to the Wine
& Food In The Park spirit.
Children can also get to enjoy a great range of amusement and carnival
rides set up beside the main Festival area, where they'll be kept under
expert supervision.
And of course, foodies will revel in the PCA South Burnett Regional Cuisine
Showcase which will be running under the big marquee tent between the
Giant Wine Tent and our extensive Food Court from 11:00am right through
to 4:30pm.
