Perth’s best food and drink festivals: we present the cream of the crop

WE here at Community Newspaper Group just love a good food and/or drink festival.

This weekend Scarborough is playing host to Sunset Wine, a glorious weekend of Western Australian wine, craft beers, ciders and spirits at Brighton Reserve.

And there is no shortage of other great events dotted around the metropolitan area.

We’ve come up with a list of six must-see festivals for any foodies out there.

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Chilli Fest at The Marina, Mindarie, February 25

The 2017 Chilli Festival will be a huge day of hot chilli fun with market stalls selling everything from chilli sauces, plants, spices, jerky, chocolate and olives. The boardwalk will be buzzing with street food stalls, roving entertainers, children’s activities and live music across two stages. Test your taste buds and join the chilli eating competition held at The Boat. The event runs between 11am and 5pm with live music into the night.

WA Cider and Pork Festival, March 3-5

Love cider? Yep, us too. And pork? Then the WA Cider and Pork Festival at Elizabeth Quay has your back. Showcasing more than 70 of the best ciders from 18 local and interstate cideries, and crowd favourite pork dishes from Perth’s best pork-loving restaurants and food trucks, this event is a can’t miss. There will be live music, cider tastings, cider masterclasses, and of course every type of pork dish you can think of, from 19 pop-up pork restaurants and food trucks. For more information, visit the website.

Araluen’s Chilli and Avocado Festival, March 11-12

Held at Victoria Park’s McCallum Park, there will be a massive range of chilli and avocado products ready to tantalise your tastebuds. Wander through the Araluen Village to experience a taste of the Perth Hills and purchase some of the best local produce from the Hills Orchard Improvement Group. Celebrity chefs will be on stage demonstrating just how easy it is to create your own chilli and avocado taste sensations at home. There will also be three stages with Perth’s best talents to keep you entertained as well as kids activities and roving entertainment to keep the little ones busy. For more info, visit the website.

Crab Fest Mandurah, Mandurah, March 18-19

Crab lovers rejoice! The festival attracts more than 120,000 locals and visitors to the City of Mandurah. The event showcases the lifestyle, location, culture and talent that makes Mandurah so unique and of course, Crab Fest would not be Crab Fest without a celebration of the native Blue Manna crab. There will be fresh food, live music, performances, children’s entertainment, competitions, cooking demonstrations, celebrities, aquatic entertainment… the list goes on. For more info, visit the website.

Yak Ales Barbecue Festival,

The Yak Ales Barbecue Festival is coming to Perth for the first time in April 2017. Held over two days at Burswood Parklands (April 8-9) and filled with mouth-watering barbecue from local and international pitmasters, the festival also includes barbecue cooking and butchery demos, a barbecue cook-off sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS), the world’s largest organisation of barbecue enthusiasts, bands and more. For more info check the website.

Fremantle Bacon Festival, April 22

Because everything’s better with bacon … the Fremantle Bacon Festival has put it all together in one delicious spot. The event, to be held at the Esplanade Hotel, is a celebration of everything bacon. Roam around the food stalls and get your fill of creative bacon dishes – have you ever tried bacon ice cream? Grab a pint or a bacon cocktail at one of the pop-up bars, then head to the food coma zone and listen to great, local live music. For more info, visit the Facebook page.

City Wine, June 9-10

Western Australian wine comes to the city’s door step in early June when you can take in the tastes of WA in the pop-up venue created at the Urban Orchard, part of the Perth Cultural Centre. You can enjoy wine from some of WA’s best boutique producers and joining with friends while being entertained and taking in a tapas-styled meal. For more info visit the website.