Childers, just south of Bundaberg, is sugar cane country; and every July, the town goes into overdrive for its annual festival celebrating the harvest season.
The festival draws 40,000 people to Childers with over 400 food and market stalls lining the main street of town – which just happens to be the Bruce Highway. In fact, it’s the only festival in Queensland that shuts the Bruce Highway for the Sunday market day.
Earlier in the week, there are plenty of lead-up events and tours dedicated to the celebration.
Isis Central Sugar Mill and Cane Fire Tour
Hugely popular with locals and visitors alike, this event is an absolute highlight of the festival… and the Childers region. This entertaining and informative tour is run by the mill workers. It starts out at the fields where tour-goers learn all about the harvesting process, then follows the cut cane through to the mill, finally ending with a spectacular sugar cane fire that lights up the Childers skies. It’s a must-see!
The Childers Festival Dinner
A much-anticipated event on the Childers Festival calendar, and one of the first events to kick off festival weekend, is a long-table dinner set within Terry and Mary Byrne’s winery, Hill of Promise. The dinner is focused on seasonal local produce matched with award-winning Hill of Promise wines. Another drawcard of the event is the focus on getting to know your fellow festival attendees while learning a little about the winemaking process.
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The Festival Picnic in the Vines
Set in the stunning, colourful European style gardens of Vintner’s Secret Vineyard, the Festival Picnic in the Vines is a beautiful way to enjoy lunch. You can pre-order a picnic basket via the vineyard or BYO and find a spot to sit back and relax as you take in the peaceful surrounds and listen to relaxing live music, in between the trickle of the surrounding water features.
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Opera By The Lake
It doesn’t get much more special than this event. Set against the glow of the afternoon sun over Lake Redbrook, concert-goers can enjoy performances from some of Opera Queensland’s finest artists while sipping on local wine. Sing along to the well-known favourites during the two-hour spectacle. It’s the perfect way to relax on the Saturday before the big festival street party kicks off in Crescent Street that evening.
Childers Historical Bus Tour
What better way to get to know a town than with a historical tour? Go beyond just the main street as fourth-generation local, Warren Martin, heads up an informative bus tour. It starts with how the region developed into such fertile farming country thanks to volcanic activity. The bus then winds its way through the back streets of town before ending up back on the Bruce Highway. With 27 Heritage Listed buildings, there’s plenty of history here.
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