Located 45 kilometres east of Melbourne in the picturesque Yarra Ranges, the village believes the Festival is a good way to raise its profile, and those of its specialist food and beverage suppliers. The inaugural event in 2005 attracted an estimated crowd of nearly 5,000 people, and the community holds even greater hopes for this year.

The day will include street stalls selling local produce and artisan food products, as well as tastings from the local wineries. Top chefs from the area will conduct themed cooking demonstrations and masterclasses designed to showcase the region's produce. Presenters confirmed to date include Ben Higgs of Wild Oak; Jake Ward of the Mt Dandenong Hotel; Anne Creber of Whispers from Provence; and Richard Hauptmann of the Healesville Hotel.

 

For younger visitors, there will be fire engine, police car and Harley rides...

...as well as circus performers, a jumping castle and pony rides, while canine superstars from the Alpha Dogs training school will go through their paces.

The Day starts at 9am with events running throughout the day until 5.30pm. Jazz and blues acts will provide entertainment for crowds throughout the day. Organisers see the event as "a truly unique cultural and community festival". The Yarra Ranges region has not been heavily promoted as a food and wine destination, despite having an abundance of food and beverage producers, so the Festival allows more people to discover the region and its wonderful food and wines for themselves.

The Festival is organised by the Mount Dandenong Traders' Association, and any funds raised on the day will go towards building a new children's' playground. Mount Dandenong is accessible by public transport - take a train on the Lilydale line to Croydon, then catch Ventura Bus No. 688 to Mount Dandenong Village, Mt Dandenong Tourist Road Olinda Victoria (Check the timetable at www.venturabus.com.au).

For Further details contact:
	Jilly:
	0431 970 522