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.