Gorgeous, chilly Stanthorpe is perhaps most beautiful in winter… unless the year is an even-numbere, that is. Because that means that the town is holding its famous Apple & Grape Harvest Festival, which is celebrating 60 years of crushing it in 2026!
To honour this occasion, the festival is bringing together the community of the Granite Belt and people from all over for 10 days of farm-fresh fun, delicious food and proud traditions.
Although the Apple & Grape Festival the way we know it came to be in 1966, it has its roots in the 1954 Apple Blossom Festival, which was part of the Back to Stanthorpe Week celebrations of that same year. As The Apple Blossom Festival lost steam, representatives of the DSGC and Chamber of Commerce and Industry revamped the event, launching the first edition, an immediate success, in 1966.
Since then, the festival, held every 2 years, has incorporated more and more activities and types of harvest, becoming a landmark event for the region. So much so, that in 1972, for Stanthorpe’s Centenary, a special Apple & Grape Harvest Festival was planned, making it the undisputed highlight of the town’s birthday. With 60,000 attendees and an ambitious program, Stanthorpe proved that a small town can throw a world-class festival. And the 60th anniversary won’t be the exception…
What to expect
Across the 10 days, you’ll be ablet to indulge in the best the region has to offer when it comes to produce and wines, all while exciting events and live music take place on every corner.
The first weekend, from February 27 to March 1 is all about the tunes and the town’s heritage, with the lively South East Queensland Finals of the Australian National Busking Championships and the famous Italian long lunch celebrating Stanthorpe’s ancestry.
The second weekend, March 6 to March 8, known as the Main Weekend, has some of the most highly anticipated events, including parades, fireworks and grape crushing! The latter is open to the public on March 6, and allows anyone with a ticket to join in on the grape-stomping fun, or simply watch from a safe distance.
Other highlights include the Grand Parade, running through the centre of Stanthorpe on March 7; the Queensland Country Bank Food and Wine Fiesta, a gourmet extravaganza that runs throughout the whole second weekend; and Open Gardens, a rare opportunity to see the most gorgeous private gardens across the Granite Belt!
But the fun doesn’t stop at the weekend: every weekday has a mouth-watering theme such as Truffle Day, Produce Day and Berry Day, with unmissable events to go with each of them.
Practical information
This years Apple & Grape Harvest Festival will take place from February 27 to March 8.
There are no dedicated parking spots for the festival, and no vehicles will be permitted in the town centre, so make sure you budget time to find a parking spot and walk the short distance to town.
The Festival’s events are a mix of free and ticketed, and prices vary according to the event. You can see the full program here and you can get tickets for all events here.
📍Stanthorpe, QLD