As the cold, crisp air of the Tasmanian winter descends upon the Huon Valley, a bittersweet excitement filters through the region. The 2024 Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival marks the 11th and final celebration of this beloved event, bringing to a close over a decade of traditions, music, and community spirit. S ince its inception in 2014, the Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival has been a beacon of warmth and joy in the depths of winter. Inspired by ancient pagan traditions, this festival – run by Cider makers Willie Smiths at its Ranelagh Apple Shed restaurant – was designed to awaken the cider apple trees and scare away evil spirits to ensure a bountiful harvest. What began as a small, local gathering quickly blossomed into one of Tasmania’s most anticipated annual events. It has become a huge part of the landscape for locals and visitors alike, but as the curtains prepare to draw to a close for the last edition, organisers are putting the finishing touches on what they hope will see the event go out with a bang. “Everybody is a little bit sad to see it going but excited about putting on a big final show,” says Willie Smiths marketing manager Adam Bayliss. “The event itself has been a big part of the fabric of the Huon Valley for
the last 10 years and I don’t think anybody takes that lightly.
“It’s definitely full steam ahead right now, everybody’s got their heads down, working through all the finer details towards the end. There’s massive amount of stuff happening on both the Friday and Saturday night, so we’ve got a lot of different pieces of the puzzle to keep moving forward. “There’s definitely a lot of extra effort attempting to make it a special event this year. We’ve moved the big centrepiece of the festival to the final night to try and send it off with a big bang, and even now, we’re still having discussions about what else we can do to make it a really special occasion for everybody who’s coming.” “The event itself has been a big part of the fabric of the Huon Valley for the last 10 years and I don’t think anybody takes that lightly.” - Willie Smiths Marketing Manager Adam Bayliss
45 Tasmanian Hospitality Review June/July Edition
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