The range of local produce, food and entertainment on show was outstanding, with thousands of locals and visitors turning out to enjoy the yummy food, try a local beer and dance the night away.

A highlight of the weekend was Celebrity Chef Matt Golinski’s fabulous demonstrations at the Oyster Barn, where he showed how to pair the perfect local wine, with a delicious locally farmed oyster.

Also not to be forgotten was the announcement of our first ever ‘Favourite Foodies’. Ken Little’s Fruit and Veg, Black Duck Brewery, Four Espresso and Delizioso should be very proud of their achievements, leading the way in contributing to our region’s growing reputation as an effervescent local food bowl.

To wrap up the festival, council are inviting attendees over the weekend to submit feedback on your experience via an online survey.

By completing the survey you will go in the draw to win a return Alliance Airline flights from Port Macquarie to Brisbane. To complete the survey visit tastingsonhastings.com.au/news/

Locally grown events receive boost

Congratulations to the successful recipients in round 1 of our Events Sponsorship Program, announced last week.

A lot of time, commitment and dedication is needed to organise the array of local events we’ve all come to love and look forward to, and it’s great to be able to give our event owners a helping hand to grow their festivals and attract new visitors to our region.

Organisers from Slice of Haven, Port Macquarie Running Festival, Hello Koalas Festival and Suck it up Buttercup each received $5,000 to assist in the promotion of their locally grown events.

The next round of funding will allocate another $20,000 to local events and opens in early 2018. For more information visit pmhc.nsw.gov.au/eventsponsorship