Narooma Oyster Festival 2012 dates announced
My name is Jacky and as the new event manager for the Narooma Oyster Festival it is with great excitement that I can confirm the dates of 5th and 6th of May for the Narooma Oyster Festival 2012 ‘Naturally Gourmet’.
The following outline is still a preliminary schedule but 2012 is shaping up like this:
• The Festival will be held over the two days (Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th May) plus the evening of Friday 4th of May where Narooma’s great range of restaurants can showcase special festival menus to tempt both visitors and locals.
• On Saturday the Wagonga Inlet shores will again be filled with feasting, music and wares. The festival’s famous oyster recipe cook-off will again feature with Master Chef Julie Goodwin heading the program.
• On Sunday the Narooma business community invites you to come and meet them on a fun day featuring busking, entertainment and special offers.
The 2012 Festival will be a weekend of indulging in fine food, wine and music while enjoying the local produce and the beauty of the area, the friendly people and local businesses welcoming you to their town.
The final schedule is currently being prepared and the supporters rallied for what we believe will once again be a fantastic event. If you are an accommodation house or tourism attraction I would love to talk to you about possible promotions and packages.
I also invite any interested media to please contact me for exciting stories and participation in our journalist programs.
There are many sponsorship opportunities associated with the event so please come on board and support the Narooma Oyster Festival. We have a full program of marketing and promotional plans available..
The Festival is an event that has grown to great heights because of the commitment of its sponsors, the Narooma Chamber of Commerce and the people of Narooma and surrounding districts …and of course let us not forget the oysters!
So please update your calendars and feel free to contact me anytime about the Festival.
You can also check the website www.naroomaoysterfestival.com for regular updates as planned events unfold.
Contact details:
Jacky Jansse – Narooma Oyster Festival Manager • jacky@narooma.org.au
Be ready for the Narooma Oyster Festival 2012 ‘Naturally Gourmet’
2011 Review - The Finest Seafood on the Planet!
RECORD numbers of oysters were consumed during a packed weekend of tastings, demonstrations and entertainment at the 2011 Narooma Oyster Festival. The festival is designed to showcase the region’s produce, culture and artisan chefs and the crowds were treated to some of the finest seafood on the planet - in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable.
Around 1,700 dozen locally farmed oysters - that’s more than 21,000 - were freshly shucked at the ActewAGL Oyster Bar alone, with more served through other food outlets all weekend.
 |
Welcome to Country
Friday night’s Welcome to Country was a lot of fun, with an Aboriginal fire ceremony and a lantern parade featuring local school children followed by dancing to the infectious funk of Jumbaal Dreamin’.
Fireworks then lit up the sky accompanied by the gorgeous sound of Noel Butler on Didgeridoo - a spine-tingling experience which set the tone for a truly memorable weekend.
|
 |
Cooking competitions & demonstrations
MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin brought her laid-back humour to the judging of the amateur chefs in this year’s seafood cooking competition, while Cory Campbell from the 3-hat-winning Vue de Monde restaurant judged the competition’s professional finalists.
Results:
Professionals - 1st Tim Dunsmore (from Bistro on the Green) – Seared ahi tuna with bloody mary jelly
Amateurs
1st Margun Carless (from Ulladulla) – Whiting Rosettes
2nd Thomas Wallenius (from ACT) – Tempura oysters with lobster cream
Julian Lloyd of Rick Stein at Bannisters and Vue de Monde’s Brendan Walsh and Chris Bonello joined Narooma’s own multi-awarded Michael Stokes to lead a stellar line-up of demonstrating chefs.
The waterfront festival site was buzzing with some 60-plus stalls selling the best in local products with a focus on organics.
And professional musicians performing on the ANZ main stage - ranging from the sublime Beautifully Mad to country star Victoria Baillee - were complimented by some seriously talented local teenagers on the Narooma Plaza community stage.
|
 |
Ultimate Oyster Experience
The new Ultimate Oyster Experience proved a big hit, with visitors paying $50 for a private tasting session hosted by an oyster grower and featuring matched wines and food to compliment a range of different oysters from throughout the region.
The visual arts elements of the festival have never been as strong, with the spectacular addition of giant seabird sculptures - created through community workshops - perched on poles out on the Wagonga Inlet just offshore.
Dennis ‘the Sandman’ Massoud returned this year to create incredible sculpted dolphins in front of the festival crowds.
And the Bidinga Aboriginal Art Exhibition was another highlight of the event - filled with beautiful pieces and inviting visitors to help create a huge dot painting celebrating the festival.
There can be no better place to indulge your senses in a weekend of feasting, culture and entertainment than on the shores of Narooma’s gorgeous Wagonga Inlet.
See you next year!
Images by:
glen ryan : natural light Shannon Reddaway | Glen Ryan
|
|
