Local Town Festivals in North Queensland

While the Festivals and Shows of Cairns and Port Douglas tend to grab the limelight, the smaller town festivals are usually a hoot and offer the visitor a true sample of Tropical North Queensland rural life. Most of the towns on the Tableland such as Atherton, Mareeba and Herberton, host annual arts and music Festivals, but there's also rodeos, fairs and fishing tournaments happening all over this region. If a unique taste of more remote North Queensland, beyond the hustle and bustle, is what you seek, then seek out a local festival.

During October each year, which is mid-spring and almost regularly perfect weather, the streets of the Cairns central business district come alive.

The Cairns Reef Festival has undergone several name changes in the last 38 years, but each transformation has seen an increase in the size and diversity of the many events and activities which take place. In1999, organisers realised their ambition to present 100 events in 9 days.

For this week or so, the Cairns CBD, especially the Esplanade, becomes rather more lively and colorful than usual. Following a grand parade attended by around 60,000 spectators, various cultural food fests, street jazz festivals, ethnic dance presentations, community concerts, rock concerts, themed parties, sporting events and an enormous pool party, all take place. There's also a business 'dress down' day, where most local businesses actually go to great lengths to dress up both themselves and their premises. Even bank tellers get out of uniform, for at least a day.

The Cairns Reef Festival in the year 2000 kicks off on Saturday, October 9 and officially finishes the following Saturday, though a few events do commonly occur before and after the official dates. So many people who organise and participate in the Festival volunteer their services and many end up with more things to do than they have time for. It really is a time when the entire community gets together, in body and spirit and also an excellent excuse to party hard and share some carnivale atmosphere.

Baa, moo, mum maaa (and other assorted farm animal noises!) The Cairns Show Society in 1999 reaped the benefit of reorientating to an agricultural show format.

7,000 more people entered the gates than the record 60,000 predicted, making the 'Cairns Supa Show' the third largest country show in Australia. Also, as in bygone years, the first superb weather for months made an admirable appearance.

In 1999, the heritage exhibition, the animal nursery and snake show attracted constant crowds, and the City Council Community Stage next door presented the local community doing what they do best. As usual, the Italians were the best represented. Side show alley took more than an hour to dawdle through, the exhibition halls were humming, and the grand parade (led by a steam tractor), circled the state's finest axemen and some of the country's best horse people, waiting to complete their finals.

The Cairns Show in 2000 is set to be the biggest and best yet, featuring the finest in local produce, talent and entertainment. The Cairns Show is held every July at the Cairns Showground. Show Day (usually the third day of the show) is a public holiday for people in the region.

The three-day Port Douglas Carnivale, held during the last weekend in May, is now one of the biggest events on the Queensland calendar, growing rapidly since its inception in 1993. The 2000 Carnivale dates are May 26/27/28.

The colorful three-day extravaganza kicks off on Friday evening with a street parade on Macrossan Street. Music and street theatre fills the night air, delicious aromas waft from the food stalls and the evening is capped off by a brilliant fireworks display. The focus of Saturday is on Four Mile Beach with activities such as a sand modelling competition, the waiters' race and an ironman event.

Saturday night's food and wine festival is a chance for local restaurateurs to showcase their exotic cuisine and it's acclaimed as a true gastronomic delight. On Sunday, a seafood extravaganza takes place at the Marina with trawlers unloading their fresh delicacies straight from the sea. The Carnivale comes to a close with a big name concert under the stars at the Port Douglas Community Sports Complex. The Port Douglas Carnivale is zany, spirited and fun - in fact, it's a trip!!

The Mission Beach Mud Festival is a new fixture on the events calendar and is a celebration of youth culture with performances by local bands and other artists.

The next full-on Mud Festival is planned for the year 2001, although throughout 2000 there will be a number of "mud" activities aimed at developing and promoting youth culture. These activities focus on developing youth talent in music, dance, drama and production. The events are held in various indoor and outdoor venues around the Mission Beach region (south of Cairns).

One of Australia's most historically important towns, Cooktown comes alive every year during the Cooktown Discovery Festival.

Held every Queen's Birthday Weekend (June 10/11/12 in 2000), the highlight is the re-enactment of Captain James Cook's beaching of his damaged ship, the 'HM Endeavour' at the present site of Cooktown on June 17,1770.

With many of the local people in period dress, it's a truly colorful and unique event. Before the re-enactment on Sunday, there is a street parade on the Saturday which includes a gold delivery on horseback to the bank, a tug-of-war, wood chopping contest, a truck-pulling contest and a wet T-shirt competition.

There is also a variety of food stalls and other novelty events, up and down the main street. Entertainment during the evening includes a dance and concert. The Discovery Festival is proving to be a hit with international tourists and it's a weekend not to be missed if you are after fun with an historical twist. Cooktown is about four hours drive north of Cairns.

Looking for a local community festival that's a bit off the beaten track? Then head for the Tableland because that's where it's all happening.

Atherton, one of the bigger towns in the region, sports no less than three sizeable festivals - the long running Maize and Arts Festival, a Food Festival and the Jazz Festival. The Maize and Arts Festival, which has been running for more than 30 years started as a celebration of the district's major crop. Running for two weeks in August, the festival includes a Mardi Gras, art exhibitions and children's art competitions. The Jazz Festival which is held on the first weekend in July, is focused on Atherton and Yungaburra. This quaint little Festival attracts more than 70 musicians from all over the world and covers all styles of jazz from trad to Dixie and swing. The Food Festival is held in October and features a range of cuisines, street food stalls and cooking competitions.

For a Festival with an outback flavor, you can't go past the Chillagoe Big Weekend. Held in mid-May, the weekend includes a race meeting, a rodeo and an open air bush dance. The Herberton Tin Festival, another long running event held in September, includes a street parade, a flower show, equestrian events, wood chopping and tin-panning competitions.

If folk music is your thing, the Tableland Folk Festival held during the last weekend of October in Yungaburra, could be just the ticket. More than 70 local, interstate and international folk musicians perform in the pubs, halls, clubs and restaurants of Yungaburra.

Other Tableland Festivals include the Mutchilba Mango Mardi Gras in January, the Dimbulah Tobacco Festival in May and the Ravenshoe Spring Festival in September. The pretty rainforest village of Kuranda, not far from Cairns, holds a Spring Arts and Music Festival every September.

Not far from the Tableland in Innisfail, the Harvest Festival is held every October. The Festival provides entertainment for this culturally diverse shire (home to 48 languages) with multicultural food, dance and music, a grand parade and youth concert.