To be held this year from 28 to 31 October, the Mildura Jazz, Food and Wine Festival in Australia attracts thousands of locals and visitors each year, and has grown steadily in popularity since it first kicked off 30 years ago.
Four days of round the clock jazz entertainment will be on offer at a host of venues all across Mildura, ranging from clubs, bars and cafes to restaurants, churches and halls. Combining traditional jazz and swing music with more contemporary sounds, the festivial offers something to suit all styles.
Many of the events – some of which are ticketed while others are free of charge – take place with the beautiful Murray River as a backdrop. Some of the bands who will be playing at this year’s festival include The Mike Stewart Big Band featuring Luke Thompson, Maryborough Traditional Jazz Ensemble, Dixie Street Jazz Band and the Jazzoholics.
Alongside the jazz, visitors to the festival can pick up some tasty regional food and wine, with many local eateries flinging open their doors to showcase some of their very best produce, and roadside stalls selling everything from fresh fish to some of Australia’s tastiest wine and cheese.
Located in northwestern Victoria, 540km from the big smoke of Melbourne, Mildura is a modern regional city, lying on the Victorian side of the Murray River, one of the world’s longest navigable rivers, which runs 2,700km from the Snowy Mountains to South Australia.
It is lucky enough to enjoy a fabulous Mediterranean-style climate, boasting 122 “bright, clear days” each year and 77 days when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius – perfect for the vineyards to flourish.
Mildura got its name from its first inhabitants, the Latje Latje Aboriginal people. The name Mildura has been translated to mean “red earth” in Latje Latje. Explorer Captain Charles Sturt discovered the area in the 1830s on the search for an inland sea. He named the two rivers he came across as the Murray and the Darling and hundreds of settlers and drovers moved into farm the area.
In 1937, Mildura officially became a city and today the thriving regional centre and the surrounding Sunraysia district boasts a population of more than 50,000.
Mildura itself is at the heart of an expansive wine and fruit growing region and it is well known for its production of fine food and wine, prolific farmer’s markets and cellar doors. One of Australia’s most famous restaurants, Stefano’s, is located in Mildura – so see if you can nab a table to enjoy some of its fabulous Italian food.
Other things worth doing in Mildura include swimming at one of the white-sandy beaches, paddling through wetlands or boarding an historic paddleboat to travel up the river.
The Mildura Arts Centre is also well worth a visit, thanks to its sculpture park, museum, theatre and gallery – which houses one of regional Australia’s finest collections, including modern works by Australian artists.
Read more about Mildura at www.visitmildura.com.au. There’s even a webcam on which you can check out some footage of the area.
(Image: thinboyfatter)
