21 events to look forward to this year across the Darling Downs
Whatever you’re into there is an event taking place this year that is right up your alley.
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The Darling Downs is definitely the place to be in 2021 with dozens of fantastic family friendly events happening across the region.
Whether you’re into live music, crafting, delicious local food or wine, or experiencing the region’s rich cultural heritage there is an event taking place this year that is right up your alley.
Grab your calendar and diary, here are 21 of the most exciting events taking place across the region this year.
1. Groovin’ in the Garden on the Western Downs
Pack a picnic rug and settle in for an afternoon and evening of live music at Groovin’ in the Garden in the picturesque surrounds of the Chinchilla Botanic Parklands on Saturday, February 20.
The Western Downs Regional Council is hosting the family friendly afternoon at the stunning Botanic Parkland, with an incredible line-up of local and regional musicians, as well as food vendors, bar facilities and lawn games.
The afternoon features a mix of local and regional musicians, including the region’s top performers as part of the council’s Groovin’ from the Garage initiative held last year.
Get set for a family friendly afternoon and evening of live music, great food and plenty of fun.
2. Summer Tunes
The Toowoomba regional Council Summer Tunes program provides free, live music at popular parks and venues in the Toowoomba region and is a great way to relax with friends and family right throughout February from Saturday, February 13 to Sunday, February 28.
Concerts feature local musicians from a variety of music genres and can be enjoyed on weekends at several locations across the Darling Downs including Picnic Point, Laurel Bank Park, Yarraman, Millmerran, Pittsworth, Cambooya, Queens Park, Goombungee, Wyreema and Cecil Plains.
To find out when and where all the action is taking place, head to the TRC website.
3. Toowoomba MS Swimathon
The Toowoomba MS Swimathon is back! Get ready to dive in and make a splash to fight multiple sclerosis (MS).
Join in the fun at the Oakey Aquatic Centre on Saturday, March 6 from 6am -6pm as the Darling Downs community come together and help make a big impact for people living with MS.
The Toowoomba MS Swimathon is one of eight MS Swimathon events held all over Queensland.
Take on the challenge of a 12-hour team swimming relay and help raise vital funds for the almost 4000 Queenslanders living with MS.
Although it is a challenge, you don’t need to be a competitive swimmer to participate – people of all abilities can join in and take part.
You can swim any style or distance that suits you, whether it be 1 or 100 laps in freestyle, breaststroke, sidestroke, or doggie paddle – it is all about participation!
Registrations are now open via the MS Swimathon website.
4. Words Out West Fest
Following on from the breakout success of our inaugural festival in 2020, Words Out West: Western Downs Readers & Writers Fest is returning from March 11-14.
Words Out West is a novel approach to storytelling, boasting a wide array of different events with authors and speakers from across the country.
Hear from the best of local and national talent in the storytelling realm, featuring best-selling authors, award-winning journalists and compelling columnists, to those capturing the action from behind the lens, and even a deadly duo with an insatiable appetite for true crime.
Where will your story take you at Words Out West? Tickets are on sale now via the Words Out West website.
5. Apia Good Times Tour
The line-up of legends that is the Apia Good Times Tour is set to return for its 8th anniversary with eight of our all-time favourite Oz music megastars, heading to the Toowoomba Empire theatre on Friday, May 21.
The 2021 Apia Good Times Tour will be the biggest yet with performances from Brian Cadd, Deborah Conway, Joe Camilleri, John Paul Young, Kate Ceberano, Leo Sayer, Vika and Linda Bull and, making her Good Times debut, Ms. Wendy Matthews.
2021’s Apia Good Times line-up has a huge array of hits to draw from including Ginger Man, A Little Ray of Sunshine, Man Overboard, It’s Only The Beginning, Harley & Rose, Chained to the Wheel, I Hate the Music, Love Is In The Air, Bedroom Eyes, Pash, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Thunder In My Heart, Never Let Me Go, The Day You Went Away and Let’s Kiss to name a few.
Apia Good Times is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of Australia’s biggest music stars perform their most loved hits and share the stage and songs with one another on a rollicking rock-n-roll rollercoaster like no other so head to the Empire Theatre website for your tickets today.
6. St Patrick’s Day Parade
With Brisbane’s annual St Patrick’s Day parade no longer going ahead, all eyes will be on Toowoomba’s event this year.
Taking place on Sunday, March 14 from 10:30am commencing at the corner of Russell St and Station St, Toowoomba City this year’s parade is set to be bigger and better than ever.
Organised by the Darling Downs Irish Club and led by Caledonian Pipe Band and Town Crier Toowoomba’s St Patrick Day parade is set to be a spectacle for all ages.
Everyone is welcome to walk in parade to celebrate all things Irish so get your best green outfit organised and head out for a day celebrating the luck of the Irish.
7. Lost Trades Fair
Find inspiration, skill, craftsmanship, rare and forgotten trades, lost arts and traditions at the Lost Trades Fair on Saturday, May 15 on Lindsay St in East Toowoomba.
See over one hundred makers practising their crafts and trades including wheelwrights, coopers, silversmiths, woodworkers, musical instrument makers, leatherworkers, chairmakers, whip plaiters, ceramists, weavers, tinsmiths and clockmakers.
The trades and the incredible artisans, workers and makers who continue to pursue these trades as a career will showcase their skills, craftsmanship and share their knowledge.
The Lost Trades Fair aims to inspire, to educate and to show why people should aim to have things made by a real person rather than a machine, to think about sustainability and the longevity of what they buy and use, to share skills and demonstrate what people can do with practice and knowledge.
Tickets are available at Trybooking.com or entry can be purchased on the gate.
8. Australian Camp Oven Festival
The Australian Camp Oven Festival is a weekend of great family fun at the Millmerran Show Grounds, celebrating Aussie cultural bush heritage. Kids can be part of the damper throwing or billy boiling competitions, while adults might like to try their hand at making a damper or even putting together a team for one of the friendly cooking competitions.
Visitors are encouraged to slow down and savour the country pace and choose to do as much or as little as you like. You can sit back while watching the cooking demonstrations, or enjoy the arts, crafts, and old working machinery.
Enjoy some authentic camp oven food before you kick up your heels with the Saturday night entertainment.
The Poet’s Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings brings the best poets from afar.
Aussie dining and full bar facilities are available throughout the weekend and visitors can camp on-site with convenient amenities.
This is a great family event not to be missed. Add the Australian Camp Oven Festival in Millmerran to your calendars for Friday, October 1 to Sunday, October 3.
9. Country Rockin’ Blues Shindig at Adora Downs
Located on the edge of the beautiful Darling Downs, 40 kilometres west of Toowoomba, and renowned for its country hospitality, Adora Downs is hosting the Country Rockin Blues Shindig in conjunction with Airlie Beach Festival of Music from Friday, April 23 to Sunday, April 25.
The three-day event will feature a line-up of 20 top Aussie acts including Dragon, Bourbon Street, Bondi Cigars, The Hillbilly Goats, Mason Rack Band, Innocent Eve, Matty Rogers, Pixie’s Chicks (Australia’s very own Dixie Chicks Show), Eight Second Ride, Dan Hannaford, Chris Matthews, Andrew Cousins, James Bennett, Pixie Jenkins, The Vibe, Mike Elrington, Cody Bracken, The Smashing Bumpkins and more.
Tickets include three days of entertainment and onsite camping. This will be an 18+ and a COVID-Safe event with limited tickets so don’t miss out!
10. A Taste of Ireland at the Empire Theatre
The Empire Theatre is set to come alive Saturday, May 1 when ‘A Taste of Ireland -The Irish Music and Dance Sensation’ delivers a performance that is ‘Celtic – for this generation’.
Laugh, cry and jig into the night with a show that has entertained thousands.
Hot off its premiere New York City run in 2020 and with 130 shows in 2019 across Australia and New Zealand, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ features acclaimed Irish dancers, dazzling folk musicians and contemporary vocalists.
Experience the raw, rhythmic passion that is the original story of the Celtic motherland.
With revamped classics like ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘Tell Me Ma’, the show’s live, energetic blend of well-known tunes, jaw-dropping a cappella tap battles, melodic folk music mash-ups and craic galore transports you through the story of Ireland’s tumultuous history, complimented by stunning production and lighting.
Experience one of the best Irish Dance shows in the world today.
With all new sets, costumes, tunes and effects, you haven’t seen anything like this year’s ‘A Taste of Ireland’.
11. Opera at Jimbour House
Be delighted once again, as Queensland Music Festival together with Opera Queensland bring you Opera at Jimbour on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27.
Pull out your Sunday best, gather your friends and join them for this unique opera experience.
Located on the glorious grounds of Jimbour House in the Western Downs region of Queensland, Opera at Jimbour promises magnificent entertainment for the whole family.
Stroll through the market stalls, pack a picnic or enjoy the food and wine on offer from the local region.
Join the Western Downs in June 2021 for Opera at Jimbour for a country experience with a classical twist.
12. Festival of the Big Cow
Another great event for the family will be the Big Cow Festival at Highfields Pioneer Village from September 17-26.
The festival is all about recognising the history of the dairy industry in Australia with the theme of the 2021 festival ‘All things Cow’.
Come and experience dairying life in the Australian Pioneer days, milk a cow, churn some butter and enjoy some ice-cream.
Walk inside and see the Dairy Museum, don’t miss the Flowers on Cows Parade and baby animals in the nursery.
There will also be plenty of live music and great food and you might even encounter the infamous Ned Kelly hanging out at the Bushranger cafe.
Whether you love history, you’re a Big Cow fan or you are just looking for great entertainment you will have a wonderful time at the Festival of the Big Cow. Tickets are available online for a discounted price.
The Big Cow was sculpted by Hugh Anderson in the 1970s and is seven times the size of an Ayrshire cow on which it is modelled and was ‘mooved’ from Nambour to Highfields Pioneer Village in 2020.
13. Top of The Range Adventure Trail Run
Join in on Toowoomba’s first trail running event at the scenic location of Picnic Point Sunday, April 18.
You don’t need to be an elite athlete to enter the Top of The Range Adventure Trail Run.
It is open to seasoned runners and first timers alike.
No matter which distance you choose, our welcoming and family orientated atmosphere will ensure you make it to the finish line wanting more and everyone gets a hat and a medal to commemorate this great event.
14. Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers
A breathtaking month of flowers, flavours and sounds, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is set to take over the Southern Queensland city of Toowoomba this September.
With a program of unique events and experiences including award-winning parks, stunning private gardens, a street parade bursting with floral colour, internationally acclaimed musical acts, some of the best food and wine to be found in Queensland and a multitude of cultural and natural adventures, the 2021 Carnival of Flowers is going to set to be one of the best events of 2021.
The Festival of Food and Wine will be held over three days 10 – 12 September 2021 and the Floral Parade is scheduled Saturday 18 September 2021.
15. Hampton Festival
Set in the unique atmosphere of a high-country village, the Hampton Festival is a vibrant celebration of local food production, regional artisans and music coming to the region on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 14-16.
The Festival is a three-day food and cultural extravaganza with an extensive events program giving you a unique, authentic High-Country experience and highlights the autumn season and natural beauty of the Hampton region.
Bring your family and make a weekend of it, enjoy hands-on food and artistic workshops, regional farm tours and experience the diversity of the High-Country Hamlets region and local produce at events over the weekend.
The Festival’s Chapman Park location is an idyllic setting to relax under the majestic blue gums and enjoy the Festival’s live music and taste superb, local produce along with food and wine from one of the many featured regional restaurants and wineries.
A fun two days filled day of food, fun, art, music and children’s activities for your friends and family to enjoy.
16. CRT FarmFest
CRT FarmFest is Queensland’s premier primary industry field days and is taking place in Kingsthorpe over three big days from Tuesday, June 8 to Thursday, June 10.
Previous FarmFests have showcasing over 2,000 companies and attracting over 60,000 visitors from across the nation and overseas.
2021 will celebrate its 45th anniversary, with FarmFest one of the fastest growing, safe and successful hybrid field days in Australia.
The event is organised and promoted by ACM Rural Events, the organisers of major events in Australia including the giant AgQuip Field Days in Gunnedah NSW.
CRT FarmFest has undoubtedly become a one-stop-shop for all farmers, no matter what part of the industry they are in.
With experts in areas like lighting, crop nutrients and solar pumps set to be at Kingsthorpe this year, organisers are sure attendees will find a solution for their every agricultural need.
The event opens from 9am to 5pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and 9am to 4pm on Thursday, with the carparking gates open from 7.30am daily.
17. The Nutcracker and Don Quixote at the Empire Theatre
Following their sellout 2019 performances of Swan Lake, The Imperial Russian Ballet Company return to Australia to perform a double bill with The Nutcracker and Don Quixote, two sensational ballets, one magnificent night of ballet at the Toowoomba Empire Theatre on Sunday, October 10.
The ageless tale of bravery and dreams set to the music genius of Tchaikovsky’s musical, The Nutcracker features one of the most recognisable and enduring music scores ever written while Don Quixote is based on the Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes and is considered the most influential work of literature from the Spanish golden age with this festive and flamboyant ballet first performed in Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in 1869.
The Imperial Russian Ballet Company was formed in 1994 by the Bolshoi Theatre soloist, Gediminas Taranda.
The Imperial Russian Ballet Company comprises 40 dancers from the major ballet schools of Russia.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see these two iconic ballets come to life on the Empire Theatre stage.
Get your tickets via the Empire’s website.
18. Bush Christmas Exhibition
The Bush Christmas Exhibition is an annual celebration of outback creative talent which presents a magnificent collection of handmade gifts and gourmet delights each year, with 2021’s set to take place from Wednesday, November 24 to Saturday, December 4 at the Masonic Centre on Neil St, Toowoomba City.
Exhibitors are principally from the rural and remote areas of Queensland and New South Wales and are supported by a few selected city artisans, most of whom have rural backgrounds.
Opening for 10 days from 9am-6pm at the end of November each year, the Bush Christmas exhibition is a highly anticipated event on the Toowoomba calendar for Christmas gift and gourmet shoppers and is unlike anything else in Australia.
The creations always have a story – skills and recipes handed down, hardships and celebrations, personal challenges or endeavours, and materials lovingly restored – all making the artistic works and gourmet delights all the more meaningful.
19. CraftAlive Toowoomba
CraftAlive is coming to the USQ Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre in Toowoomba for the massive days from Friday, February 26 to Sunday, February 28.
Featuring both local and interstate craft experts, the show is packed full of the latest craft supplies, kits and equipment.
CraftAlive is a hands-on event and a chance to learn from world class specialists with interactive classes across the three days. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
20. Bach Out Loud
Head out to St Luke’s Hall on Ruthven and Herries Streets on Friday, April 2 to enjoy baroque masterworks in an intimate setting with Jonathan Henderson on flute, Tania Frazer playing the oboe, Katherine Philp on cello and Alex Raineri playing the harpsichord. These talented musicians form an intimate quartet, offering a recital of quintessential works from the baroque period.
Presented in association with Southern Cross Soloists, Bach Out Loud offers audience members a n evening of unforgettable listening experience across six resplendent baroque dances.
21. Fresh Produce music festival
The masterminds behind the popular music festival Groovin’ the Moo have announced a brand-new regional concert, which will hit Toowoomba this Spring.
Fresh Produce is a limited capacity show funded by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand Government initiative and will support the six GTM regions including Townsville and Canberra and will add Toowoomba and Glenorchy to the list as well.
With a single stage outdoor set up, Fresh Produce has the ability to be seated and fit within the relevant state requirements at the time, ensuring everyone enjoys the show in a safe environment.
Fresh Produce will be playing in Toowoomba on September 3 and 4 at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.
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