Need an excuse to head inland? One of Australia's longest-running regional food festivals is returning to Orange for another 10 days of autumn feasting. Orange FOOD Week will take over the renowned food and wine region from Friday, April 2–Sunday, April 11, 2027, celebrating the local producers, chefs, winemakers and growers that make up the community's burgeoning culinary scene. First held in 1992, the festival brings back many of its most-loved events, with the FOOD Week Night Market taking over Robertson Park, featuring around 50 local food and wine stalls set against the glow of festoon lights and the park's autumnal canopy. Then, on Saturday, April 3, the Sampson Street Lunch once again sees guests wined and dined over four courses in the shadow of leafy Plane trees. Throughout the festival, Meet the Producer workshops will offer a closer look at the people and ingredients shaping the region's food scene, while Forage on Saturday, April 10, sees guests stroll through picturesque vineyards before enjoying an eight-course degustation overlooking the distant Mount Canobolas. What's more, the 2027 program celebrates local culinary legend Lesley Russell, who has helped shape the community's food scene for three decades. At Orange FOOD Week 2027, a special event will honour her contribution to the region with a limited reprint of her cookbook, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, with all profits supporting Russell's scholarship program fostering regional culinary talent. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
