Food and wine festival to return to Norwood six years after street party cancelled

A FOOD and wine festival will return to Norwood in 2018 – six years after last drinks were called on the strip’s biggest street party amid waning trader interest and complaints about boozy behaviour.

Najree Lydiard, Adrian Dunstan and Erin Lydiard at the Norwood Food and Wine Festival in 2012.

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A FOOD and wine festival will return to Norwood in 2018 – six years after last drinks were called on the strip’s biggest street party amid waning trader interest and complaints about boozy behaviour.

Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council will spend $75,000 to host a “boutique” daytime event on George St, between The Parade and Webbe St, on Sunday, April 22.

The free street party – to be known as George Street Piazza – is designed to showcase the district as a “food city”, promoting local food, beer, wine and coffee producers and retailers.

The council’s decision last week to approve the event follows years of debate over options to replace – or possibly resurrect – the Norwood Food, Wine and Music Festival.

In 2012, the council axed the street party – which at its peak attracted as many as 100,000 people to The Parade – amid soaring set-up costs and dwindling trader participation.

Some residents also complained the popular event had turned into a mass booze-up, with reports of public drunkenness and property damage.

NP&SP Mayor Robert Bria told the Eastern Courier Messenger the new event would be far smaller and more “family friendly” than its predecessor.

The old food, wine and music festival cost the council $226,000 in its final year and required The Parade to be shut off to traffic between Fullarton and Portrush roads.

Richard Milne, Bronwyn Hardie, Stewart Bishop and Jacqui Reid at the Parade Food, Wine and Music Festival in 2001.

Mr Bria said the new street party was part of the council’s wider attempts to promote local food and beverage producers, which has included the launch of the Food Secrets of Stepney and Eastside Ale Trail initiatives in the past year.

“(The street party) is an exciting new approach and era for The Parade and our cosmopolitan city,” Mr Bria said.

“It has been five years since the last event, so I think there will be a fair degree of anticipation when it comes around.”

Mr Bria would not be drawn on possible crowd numbers, but said the success of George Street Piazza would not be judged by attendance.

“If people walk away from it and say it was a much better experience than the old festival – if there is a degree of excitement – then it will be a success.”

Bath Hotel owner Tony Franzon last week welcomed a new event to promote The Parade.

But he was still “dumbfounded” with the council’s decision to scrap Norwood Food, Wine and Music Festival.

“My issue is that at its peak it attracted 100,000 people … why would you want to get rid of that?” Mr Franzon said.

“Everyone is doing the food and wine thing now – you see them in McLaren Vale and down at Glenelg – and we decided to get rid of it. It makes no sense.”