Festival has family ‘a-peel’

By Kath Gannaway
MAY will get off to a festive start this year with the Gladysdale Apple and Wine Festival on Sunday, 1 May.
The country-style festival celebrates the autumn apple and grape harvest in the Little Yarra Valley.
Locals and visitors look forward each year to the festival and the opportunity to indulge in apple tasting, sample juices and wines from local producers and take home a bag of apples picked fresh from the tree.
Numerous culinary delights including gourmet platters and cheeses can be enjoyed in the relaxed picnic setting with a glass of wine or a Devonshire tea.
Free live entertainment throughout the day includes community displays, demonstrations and competitions including the best scarecrow and apple pie and the heaviest giant pumpkin, as well as plenty of yummy food stalls.
Family fun includes the popular animal farm, go-karts, jumping castles, mini golf, bungee trampoline and the haunted house is back too!
The craft and market stalls are always a drawcard, as is the grand raffle with terrific prizes to be won, and the silent auction.
Is it any wonder the Gladysdale Apple and Wine Festival has such great ‘a-peel’ to families – it’s affordable, with lots to do for all ages, more than a bargain or two on offer … and it’s great fun!
Just four kilometres from Yarra Junction along the Little Yarra Road, Gladysdale Primary School is set in a peaceful, bush setting and has a contagious community spirit.
Start May on a high note with a day out in Gladysdale.
Admission and parking are free and all profits go to support the school. Phone 5966 6202 for further details.