Orange Winter Fire Festival

Mark your calendars: Orange Region Fire Festival is returning this winter, with a focus on showcasing local creatives on every level. Artists, musicians, authors and performers are joining winemakers, chefs and venue hosts to form an exciting series of collaborations and festival events over the 10-day program — all just a short winter's road trip away from Sydney. 

Food highlights of the festival include The Alchemy of Earth, Fire, Food and Wine in Molong which brings together a ceramicist, a chef, and a winemaker (August 2); magical Ember Feast at the Orchard (August 3), where fire-cooked fare meets live music; a hands-on Jam and Marmalade Making Class with Jasmin (August 7); the Festa del Fuoco (August 7-10), serving up a flamed Italian menu; a premium long lunch at Ross Hill at The Peacock Room (August 9), complete with a hearty, seasonal menu; and After Hours: Food Over Fire (August 9), where the Nashdale Lane team up with The Union Bank’s executive chef Dom Aboud for flame-licked dishes. Wine not your thing? Check out the Wassail Winter Cider Festival (August 2).

It's not just about food and drink, with a rich line-up of cultural and creative events to keep your days just as full as your plates. Try your hand at silver jewellery making, join a cooking class, catch a short film screening followed by a Q&A or get hands-on at a ceramics workshop. Plus, cosy up to plenty of campfire-style live music throughout the ten days. 

Sounds inviting? Make sure you're there when things kick off on August 1 with the Millthorpe Fire Fair. It's a glowing celebration held in the historic village of Millthorpe backed by a big community of local providores, wineries, cider makers, brewers and Millthorpe’s local businesses. You'll be sipping local cool-climate wine and enjoying piping-hot snacks while huddled around the impressive fire pits that line Millthorpe’s heritage-listed Pym Street. 

You’ll need to book ahead for some of these flaming-hot events. Prices range depending on the event — some are free, you can snag some food and wine experiences for under $100 per person, or go the whole shebang with a five day workshop for $600. Check the full program here.