Harvest Festival 2019 attracted over 32,000 attendees for the June long weekend filled with farm, friends, food and fun in the picturesque Central Coast hinterland.

Acting Council Unit Manager Community Partnerships, Kerrie Forrest said the third annual Harvest Festival injected $8million into the Central Coast economy with attendance numbers up by 100 percent.

“Harvest Festival keeps getting bigger and better – we had record attendance numbers of over 32,000 this year, up from 16,000 in 2018,” Ms Forrest said.

“Locals and visitors explored eight rural farming communities and their picturesque heritage villages and participated in a host of fun activities across a weekend blessed with fabulous winter weather.”

Mayor Jane Smith said it is great to see such support for a Festival that celebrates our unique and beautiful hinterland areas and promotes the Central Coast as a supplier of quality produce.

“Events such as this help to ensure the future of this vibrant industry which provides local employment opportunities, highlights sustainable farming practices and makes a great contribution to our economy,” Mayor Smith said.

“The Festival is important for tourism too – over $8million will have been injected directly into our economy over the weekend.

“Tourism is a significant industry on the Coast and an area where we are committed to growing more jobs and opportunities.

“The focus has always been, for obvious reasons on promoting our natural resources.

“The Harvest Festival is a great example of how we can create tourism opportunities that protect the local character and environment of our region.”

The Harvest Festival invited attendees to explore Dooralong, Jilliby, Yarramalong, Kulnura, Mangrove Mountain, Peats Ridge, Somersby and Calga.

Event activities across the two days included fresh food and country markets, food and wine, factory tours, bush tucker tours, working farm tours and the popular ‘pick your own pecans’ and tree shaking demonstrations.

Harvest Festival is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and contributes to the continued growth and development of the Central Coast.