Head to the Southern Highlands to be fed, watered and entertained when the potato growing town of Robertson hosts its first festival around this widely-eaten vegetable. Good old fashioned fun for the whole family awaits with a range of activities and prizes to be won, cooking demonstrations, music, and more.
Home to the Big Potato, the community of this farming region will have you feeling like a local as you join in potato sack races, a spud 'n' spoon race, competitive peeling, the mash eating and potato sack stacking competitions, along with other challenges in the Spud-A-Dome. Competing may win you some great prizes and you'll rack up points for a chance to be crowned '2022 Spudfest Champion' or 'Cream of the Crop'.
Jump for joy and the chance of a prize in a potato sack race
A Hessians on the Field Parade is the chance for fashionistas to strut their stuff in hessian haute couture, with various prizes up for grabs, as well as the best in field being crowned 'Hottest of Hot' Potato Fest Ambassador 2022. Your handmade wearable fashion piece should be fun and consist of at least 50% hessian. Just a sewer, not a model? No worries, you can make it and have someone else wear it for you. Click
here to enter.
For the Under 7's Tiny Tater Tots, there's potato picking, potato bowling and crafting tables where they can make vegetable people, take part in Hessian art, do some potato stamping and decorate a spud. These activities are being run by Year 6 students as a school fundraiser for Robertson Public School to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
Cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs will have you learning new cooking techniques with tips on making a number of potato-filled marvels. 'Fast Ed' Halmagyi, best known from Better Homes and Gardens, will show onlookers how to make no–knead potato and rosemary bread, roped potato Pecorino stacks, branded confit potato, a potato halloumi and orange roll, and more. On the local side, there's Helen Vlahakis from Mumma's Country Kitchen (based in Robertson Cheese Factory) showing us Greek Potato, Daniele Cavallucci from The Robertson Hotel combining potato and truffle, and Fede Guidi presenting a Kids Gnocchi Workshop on preparing this Italian dumpling.
Potato and truffle make for a tasty combination
Watching the cooking demos will surely have you thinking about replenishing your stomach and there's plenty to taste and drink here with the Foodies Market full of locally produced delights and a licensed bar serving up cold ones.
Food to warm the soul
A Growers Market selling fresh food, plants and gardening products, will also see experienced growers sharing their knowledge and tricks of the trade on an array of subjects, from spud farming to composting and beekeeping.
A concert is on the festival agenda too, with a local line-up of solo musicians, duos and bands that include Nick Rhineburger, Modern Day Gents, the Shane Pacey Trio, Angus Murray Band, Rapunzel's Party and Rusted Track performing on the Music Main Stage. A cross-section of genres is represented, with everything from jazz to country music.
Rapunzel's Party bring acoustic sounds with both covers and their own compositions
Over on the Community Stage, you can show off your skills. Whether your talent lies in singing, playing a musical instrument, dancing up a storm, juggling potatoes, stand-up comedy or magic, don't be shy,
register and reveal what you can do. Furthermore, there's potato poetry for wordsmiths to come up with some spud-themed scripting and make an a-peel-ing performance.
All of the above takes place at Robertson Showground and makes for a spud-tastic weekend, however, there's more taking place in town. Art is on show with an exhibition at the CTC (Community Technology Creativity) in Hoddle St, consisting of works resulting from a recent art competition that saw all types of artists, young and old, participating. The theme, of course, was all things potato, as well as the beautiful Robertson area.
Additionally, at the Robertson School of Arts (also in Hoddle St) a theatre show based on a play written by Melanie Tait, will have you in stitches. Titled 'The Appleton Ladies Potato Race', it takes on gender parity surrounding the potato race prize money. The result is a hilarious culture war. It has some coarse language and thus is recommended for ages 14 & over. Book your seats now before
tickets run out.
Be sure to plan ahead so as not to miss out on something you want to see or do. Visit the
website for all the timings of the potato activities, cooking demos, gardening sessions and music performances.
Getting there
If not driving, getting to the event is easy with the Spud Express. This free shuttle bus
takes you to and from the potato festival from various sites within Robertson township and the nearby towns of Bowral, Moss Vale and Burrawang. All the pickup details and times on each day can be found
here.
The Spud Express awaits
The humble potato is not bright nor bold but its versatility in usage makes it a popular staple on many a dinner plate. From chips to mash, gnocchi to roasted potatoes, potato soup and potato bake, it's undeniably a vegetable worthy of celebrating. So hop down to Robertson (only 2hrs from Sydney) for this festival full of fun, honouring the much-loved potato and you may even come away with your next favourite recipe.
