Central Coast Council’s annual Harvest Festival, held over the June long weekend, once again welcomed tens of thousands of visitors from across the Coast and beyond. With over 40 event hubs, this year’s festival delivered a diverse and engaging program showcasing the very best of our region. The addition of a number of evening experiences added fresh energy to the event, with twilight markets, outdoor cinemas, degustations and live music under the stars attracting even more visitors.
Council Acting Mayor John Mouland said Harvest Festival continues to be a valuable celebration of the Central Coast’s rural farmlands, while providing major economic benefits for the wider community. “Harvest Festival brings people together to experience everything that makes our hinterland such a special part of the region,” Acting Mayor Mouland said.
“This year’s festival drew the largest crowd yet (over 69,500 people), resulting in $8.4 million flowing directly into the local economy — that’s a 5% increase compared to last year. This strong result demonstrates the broader community impact of events that encourage visitation, local spending and pride of place.”
Alongside Harvest Festival, the June long weekend featured a number of standout events including Dam Day Out, which attracted more than 600 attendees, as well as Platypus Day, Taste of Wyong and more. Council Director of Community and Recreation Services, Melanie Smith, said Council events such as Harvest Festival continue to grow in both popularity and demand.
“At this year’s festival we saw an attendance figure of more than 69,500 people, including over 700 attendees at our new nighttime events, and these numbers are increasing every year as more people come to experience everything the Coast has to offer,” Ms Smith said. “Beyond Harvest Festival, our winter events continue to perform strongly. Just last weekend, Taste of Toukley welcomed more than 1,000 visitors to the town centre to sample local flavours and eateries. Council extends its thanks to all local businesses, producers and attendees who contributed to the success of these recent events.”
Central Coast Council Media Release
