Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2017 for Families
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is back this year from Friday 31st of March to Sunday 9th of April and this time it will be celebrating its 25 years!
Indulge in all things food and wine with the kids in tow! There are over 280 great events to choose from and some that the whole family can enjoy together. Kids can learn a few things or two and enjoy delicious food and the best thing is most family events are FREE! I have taken little Miss to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival previously and she loved it! Here are 8 events that we thought would be great for families - enjoy!
1. Little Foodies
Let your kids learn about food by getting their hands dirty. With interactive produce patches, kids can pick, smell and taste seasonal produce straight from the soil themselves, and then try that ingredient in a dish.
There will also be cooking demonstrations, face painting stations and, stalls with delicious, healthy snacks, and a range of other entertainment.
On from Fri 31st Mar, Sat 1st April and Sun 2nd of April at Riverside Quay, Southbank - FREE.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
2. A Venetian Carnivale
Be transported from a Camberwell laneway straight to the streets of Italy, and one of the oldest and most famous festivals and celebrations of them all – the Carnivale di Venezia. Traditional Carnivale food and wines, street artists, lively entertainment, dancing classes. BYO masks optional.
This is a family event with lively entertainment including roving singers and musicians and Venetian dancing classes, even face painting.
On Sat 8th April at Firechief, Hawthorn East - FREE for kids under 12 (no food incl.) or $13 to $35.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
3. Crown Live Pizza Festival featuring T’Gallant
Discover elements of the winemaking process, partake in a pizza making Masterclass with Gradi’s Johnny Di Francesco and enjoy the live music and entertainment.
On from Fri 31st Mar, Sat 1st April and Sun 2nd of April at Crown Riverwalk, Southbank - FREE.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
4. Fed in French
Making French street food accessible to everyone, right in the heart of Melbourne, Fed in French will showcase French fare from all regions of France including take home as well as eat on the spot. King Louis and Marie Antoinette will be there – will you?
On from Fri 31st Mar, Sat 1st April and Sun 2nd of April at Federation Square, Melbourne - FREE.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
5. Sweet Alley
Shun savoury in favour of sweet when our country’s dessert and pastry masters come together for three delicious days. Tip the naughtier end of the scale with artisan ice-creams, chocolates, pastries and doughnuts, or keep it cleaner with fruity flavours, raw desserts and frozen yoghurts.
On from Fri 31st Mar, Sat 1st April and Sun 2nd of April at Signal, Melbourne - FREE.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
6. Food Truck Shop
Hungry? Park your appetite at the Food Truck Stop. Our city’s best food trucks, handpicked by Beatbox Kitchen’s Raph Rashid, will converge along the Yarra, bringing with them their traffic-stopping fare plus a special dish they’ve created just for the Festival. There will be plenty to satisfy both sweet and savoury cravings, so pull up kerbside for some Truck Stop snacking.
On from Fri 31st Mar, Sat 1st April and Sun 2nd of April at Southbank Spillway, Southbank - FREE.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
7. Kids In The Kitchen - Healthy Burgers
Kids love burgers. It's a fact. Head Chef and proud beef expert Paul Tyas is hosting a hands-on burger class to encourage nutritious eating amongst children. At the height of Melbourne’s burger craze, Paul and his team are determined to show how this typically 'fast food' offering can be as healthy as it is tasty.
Includes a burger and healthy sides for lunch, plus a take-home STKBB goodie bag to encourage our budding burger cooks to use their new-found knowledge and skills at home.
On from Tue 4 to Thu 6 Apr at Grosvenor Hotel, St Kilda East - $35.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
8. Farm Food Fun
A great family day out – Green Olive at Red Hill is a fantastic venue for the whole family to indulge their inner foodie. We love our farm and the food we produce, so after you’ve had your favourite farm animal painted on your face you can enjoy some of the finest food and wine that the Mornington Peninsula has to offer.
The farm stage will be teeming with local farmers ready to share their secrets, the olive grove will transform miraculously into a ‘book grove’ with books specially chosen for young bookworms to read and be read to, we’ll be teaching basic farm skills and showcasing our best gardening tricks…plus on the lawn there will be kids’ activities galore!
On Sat 8th Apr at Green Olive at Red Hill, Red Hill - FREE.
Photo credit: Melbourne Food and Wine
For more ideas on what to do with the little ones, head to our blog or CBD Top 5 FREE activities or our popular Daily Spots List.