Orange F.O.O.D Week

Orange F.O.O.D Week, also known as Food of Orange District, is a food festival held in the beautiful township of Orange each year.

As one of Australia’s top food festivals, Orange F.O.O.D Week has been running since 1991 and is a must-visit event annually.

The 10-day community festival, which will be held from Friday, 5 April, to Sunday, 14 April 2024, celebrates the Orange region’s diverse and high-quality food and wine. It showcases the farmers who grow them, as well as the local chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, and caterers who create extraordinary dishes with them.

This festival features the best fresh produce and innovative recipes, offering a wide range of inspiration and unique ideas. Award-winning chefs and cooks will host plenty of live displays, food exhibitions, competitions, and signature events.

The festival promotes good food and the best regional produce in Australia. Visitors can enjoy live cooking demonstrations from some of Australia’s best chefs, food talks and seminars, wine pairings and tastings, winery workshops, sunset tours and degustations.

Check out the market food stalls, where amazing food will be ready to eat and enjoy, long lunches and local restaurants joining in on the festivities with set menus and value-for-money deals.

Meet the producers, find out where your food comes from, and get tips on growing your own fruit and vegies, growing grapes, and keeping chickens and livestock. There will be pop-up cellar doors where you can try the region’s best wines, family BBQ, and picnics in the gardens, which will have plenty of lawn games, including croquet.

There will also be a night market with many food trucks and live music from buskers. So enjoy some good food, beer, and wine under the stars.

There are so many events during the festival that it’s impossible to mention them all here. Please check out the full event schedule at the official website here, or see below for the major signature events of the festival below:

FOOD Week Night Market

FOOD Week’s opening event, the Night Markets, is a friend and family favourite! Close to 50 stalls brimming with food from the best of the Orange region’s chefs, cooks, caterers, and providores, and wines, ciders, spirits, and beer makers crafted by the vignerons, winemakers, brewers, and fermenters.

The Sampson Street Lunch

Inspired by an English late summer long lunch, the Sampson Street Lunch is a unique food and wine celebration bringing together some of Orange’s best known and emerging chefs and foodies, wine producers and fun makers.

Under a canopy of autumn-coloured Plane trees in all their glory in one of Orange’s prettiest streets, guests can enjoy this once-a-year special long lunch event, which includes three courses with paired wines plus canapes and drinks on arrival.

Through a special arrangement with Orange City Council and the residents of Sampson Street, the Sampson Street Long Lunch has become one of FOOD Week’s most sought-after events.

So, dress up and expect a relaxed afternoon of contemporary food and wines with frivolity and flavour.

Forage

Stroll through Orange’s picturesque vineyards enjoying a curated eight-course degustation menu featuring local seasonal produce and the region’s award-winning wines. Meet chefs, winemakers, vignerons, and producers and discover the spoils of the cool climate region.

Forage gives you and your friends a unique opportunity to visit some of the well-known Orange Vineyards, take in the views of Mount Canobolas and its surroundings, and enjoy a food event with a difference.

Amble through about 4kms of productive farmland at an altitude that sets the Orange region apart – the cool climate food and wines will be incorporated into a unique degustation menu to enjoy along the way. It will be a feast of flavour and fun in the beautiful outdoors.

Shining the Light on Local Producers

Join the local producers in this special line-up show, tell and taste workshops throughout the week of the festival. You will get to meet our wonderful producers, learn about their produce and enjoy tastings with a glass of Rosé.

Sunday 7 April: #1 Miso & Mushroom Foraging
Monday 8 April: #2 Gourmet Preserves & Pork
Tuesday 9 April: #3 Apples, Cherries & Cheese
Thursday 11 April: #4 Tapas and Saffron
Friday 12 April: #5 Fresh Figs and Sophie Hansen

FOOD Train

This weekend package is your premium FOOD Week experience. Hosted by local foodies and regional hospitality faves, you’ll join a 3-day guided trip from Sydney to Orange, enjoying some of the region’s best food and wine experiences. The 2024 FOOD Train will showcase the international influences of Orange’s food and wine in a feast of flavour and fun.

Departing Sydney’s Central Station on Friday, the FOOD Train weekend includes tickets to the renowned FOOD Week’s most sought-after event, Forage, plus local tours, selected FOOD Week events and dining at some of the region’s favourite restaurants.

Sunday Producers’ Market and Brunch

Join the final festivity for the week! Come to one of Orange’s most spectacular settings, Cook Park, to enjoy brunch prepared by well-known cooks and producers. Stroll the market to meet and greet the producers, taste and purchase their local produce, and take it home with you.

Visit the FOOD HQ tent and grab your lucky tickets to the Producers’ Hamper raffle – drawn at 11am.

Orange F.O.O.D Week will be held at a wide range of venues around the township of Orange, so make sure to check out the program for the full range of events, locations, and times. Orange is just a 3.5-hour drive from Sydney and is well-serviced by rail and bus. There is even a local airport for one-hour direct daily flights from Sydney.