Following the success for last years involvement in the Food and Wine Festival, the Yarra River Business Association is thrilled to present River Graze, a weekend of food, wine, cocktails and entertainment with something to suit even the fussiest of critics!
We’ll kick things off on Friday March 4 at 5pm and continue through Saturday and Sunday from midday. All activities are free and won’t disappoint!
Settle in and let time go at The Little Veggie Patch’s Pop Up Patch. Nestled among vibrant veggie gardens with sunshine as the backdrop, enjoy cool drinks from Little Creatures and savvy snacks and cocktails designed by Tommy Collins.
Head up to The Square, grab a deck chair and relax with a curated series of foodie films co-presented with ACMI. Indulge your sweet tooth at the Fed Square Candy Bar with mouth-watering treats!
The grass under your feet, the sun on your back and tasty morsels of picnic fare inspired by low-mileage produce makes for the perfect weekend picnic. Start the weekend off at the NGV Garden Bar serving Victorian wines and beers and then, melt the weekend away at the Garden picnic with views over NGV’s outdoor 2015 Summer Architecture Commission: John Wardle Architects.
4. Queen Vic River Trail Market
The Queen Vic River Trail Market is the place where Melbourne’s fascination with food began and it’s set to showcase the best our premier food destination has to offer. At this mini-market you will meet the market traders, enjoy entertainment and cooking demos, relax with a drink, and of course enjoy some of your favourite market fresh food.
Featured traders will include:
*The American Doughnut Van
*Curds and Whey offering the finest of Victorian cheese
* Fresh fruit and juice by Market Juice
* Award winning big pan paella by Simply Spanish
* M&G Caiafa featuring Noisette baked goods
* The Mussel Pot
* The Original Chai Co.
* Flowers by Joe Leuzzi
* Books For Cooks and much more!
Sit amongst the olive grove at Fatto whilst feasting on delicious olives, Fatto snacks and a drink from the bar. Olive oil tastings and learning programs hosted.
Soak up the sun, take in the views and sit amongst the olive grove at Fatto. Feast on delicious olives, Fatto snacks and a drink from the bar or participate in olive oil tastings and learning programs hosted daily. Experience the creation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and taste the flavor enhancer in combination with food by Fatto.
Jugglers, clowns, fire breathers and acrobats! The Circus has come to town with the Carnival of Yesteryear taking centre stage on the riverfront. Reminisce with old-school sarsaparilla and creamy soda. Snack on dagwood dogs and toffee apples. There’ll be old-style beers and wines including barrel sample wine tastings from Mt. Langi Ghiran. Step back in time with the Carnival of Yesteryear.
7. Prosecco Road leads to Southgate
Need directions to Prosecco Road? Head straight to the Southgate Promenade. Victoria’s King Valley is Australia’s home of Prosecco – the sparkling wine for any occasion – and the best of the region will be on show alongside Southgate’s restaurants overlooking the banks of the Yarra River.
Celebrate some of the country’s best seafood at Arbory Bar & Eatery. Select your own seafood tray from a number of stalls and ‘float the day away’ savouring succulent seafood and sipping from the classic and adventurous drinks list.
A hunger for the different will be satisfied at Ponyfish Island. The bar and restaurant, smack-bang in the middle of the Yarra will be serving up great beers and seafood-based dishes from 'Southern Louisiana' such as 'Gumbo' and 'Jambalaya'. Stroll in through the day and stay to watch the sunset over the river.
Satisfy your hunger at a line up of the city's hand-picked food trucks, enjoying tastes of this diverse and popular street eats scene. Whether you’re a sweet tooth or looking for a savoury bite, stop at one of many food trucks before you continue your journey along the River Graze.
Drop in for a relaxing drink at The Apple & Pear Orchard, a unique space that will house the first ever Cider House in the middle of a spacious outdoor garden setting at Riverside Quay.
Guests are invited to drop in for a relaxing drink in this vibrant, magical garden. There’ll be a chance to taste some of the best ciders in Australia, from some of the country’s most successful, independently run & owned brands, on tap and by the bottle.
In the Cider House’s backyard we will be running cider masterclasses from some of the most influential Australian cider makers, cider judges and writers. Visitors will learn how to dissect the profile of a cider through appearance, aroma and taste, understand how the producers make their cider, why they have chosen to produce the cider and the difference between new and old world.
Cider Orchard by Mirvac will not only house activities for adults but a fun environment for families, kids and big kids with a variety of games and entertainment. The garden area will also house a little cider shack that will produce cider slushies alcoholic and non alcoholic for the kids and adults to cool down.
Come and enjoy the sun, cider, games and activities at Cider Orchard by Mirvac.
12. Dimmi First Date Butterfly House
Come and experience your first-date butterflies all over again when you step inside the Dimmi First Date Butterfly House at River Graze. Hearts are set to flutter among an array of colourful little creatures.
Enjoy riverside dining at its finest with all things local and seasonal at Riverside Quay. Taste, sip and watch the afternoon go by as you enjoy candied fig tarts, local cheese and charcuterie boards and thirst quenching cocktails.
14. The Urban Dairy supported by Legendairy
The 2016 Festival Hub is a rich homage to all things dairy. Open for 10 days in Queensbridge Square with a daily rotation of events and menus from expert cheese and ice-cream makers from around the globe.
Highlights include Big Gay Ice Cream, Gelato Messina, Gontran Cherrier and more!
Crown Live featuring Oakridge Urban Vineyard & AVPN Pizza Fest. Experience delicious pizza and fine wine. Enjoy the immersive winemaking process with Oakridge, as Gradi brings Naples’ famous Pizza Fest to Crown, with pizzaiolis, plus live entertainment and a Veuve Cliquot Airstream.
Experience mouth-watering pizza and fine wine together in perfect, delicious harmony. Be introduced to the winemaking process with Oakridge. In this immersive event, you’ll be able to walk through a winery, crush grapes with your feet, and sample the final product. Satisfy your appetite with Gradi’s Pizza Fest. Bringing Naples’ famous pizza festival to Crown, Gradi hosts local and international pizzaiolis as they cook pizzas in authentic ovens – and one will be crowned the best pizzaiolo in the world! Plus enjoy a Veuve Cliquot Airstream, bars and live entertainment with the beautiful Yarra River as the backdrop.
Come along and enjoy an extended taste of summer with a range of fun-filled activities for all ages including dairy demonstrations, educational activities, giveaways and promotions.
60 of the state’s best wineries come together to celebrate all that is fine about Victorian wine. Sip, sample and savour the state’s best drops on the lush green lawns overlooking the Yarra. With live music and tasting plates of outstanding regional produce, meet us at the City Cellar for a weekend of fun for the wine curious. Highlight wineries include Castagna, Balgownie Estate, Clyde Park, Yabby Lake, Oakridge, Sally’s Paddock, Chambers Rosewood and so many more.
Ticket includes free wine glass and tastings. Food available for purchase on the day.
This is an outdoor event and weather can be unpredictable. We will do our utmost to make sure you have a great time regardless of rain, hail or shine.
This is a ticketed event for persons 18 years and over. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
18. Riverside Seafood pop up festival
Join us on the banks of the Yarra and savour some of the best seafood WTC Wharf has to offer. The ultimate Seafood pop-up will highlight local Victorian seafood from the Mornington Peninsula to the Great Ocean Road. There’s a bar and lounge area, loads of live music and oversized Connect Four, Checkers and Jenga for the kids.
South Wharf Promenade comes alive with a series of beer gardens featuring the best of local and international craft beers. Don’t know your IPAs from your wheat beers? A program of beer-focused master classes will sort that out. There’s roving entertainment, beers to try and buy, all with delicious bites available made from Victorian produce.
It’s all in the tonic. Sail with us on a wondrous botanical voyage into the world of gin and tonic that dates back to the 17th century. Celebrating the stunning spirit that is Gin, F.T.W will showcase a catalogue of international and local gins.
Get set to entice your tastebuds with a sophisticated array of botanical herbs starting with the juniper berry combined with aromatics, spices & fruits infused, blended, mixed & stirred with bespoke Capi tonic, tantalising liqueurs & fresh fruits.
Commencing on Friday 4th March through to Sunday 6th March 2016, the sophisticated complexities of this delightful spirit will be celebrated. Tasting hours under the sun will be held every day during the festival as well as a mini masterclasses on gin, her origins, her vast botanical flavour profiles and how to make a classic gin and tonic. One might suggest we are hinting at a Gin revolution!
