{"id":244264,"date":"2019-09-16T20:30:35","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T10:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=244264"},"modified":"2020-07-17T17:04:43","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T07:04:43","slug":"italian-spirit-defies-the-drought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/09\/16\/italian-spirit-defies-the-drought\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Spirit Defies The Drought"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Terry Jacobsen from the Wondai & District Band congratulated opera singer Meg Kiddle on her performance … Meg has been a popular entertainer at the Italian Festival since it began in 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 16, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Windy weather and a dust haze that blanketed the South Burnett were not enough to stop Moffatdale Ridge Winery’s annual Italian Festival delighting hundreds of festival-goers.<\/p>\n

Revellers travelled from all over south-east Queensland to enjoy an all-day program of music that covered everything from opera to jazz, and classic Italian pop to blues.<\/p>\n

They could also try their luck at the exotic Salami Wheel; dance on special dance floor set up next to the cellar door’s cafe; or watch the hotly contested spaghetti-eating competition out on the lawn.<\/p>\n

In between, guests could browse a range of food stalls selling everything from chips to cheeses, pastas and pizzas, or slake their thirst with water, soft drinks, Italian Peroni lagers or Moffatdale Ridge’s Tuscan-inspired wines.<\/p>\n

Many guests came with friends or family, and were happy to simply set up their chairs and picnic ensembles on the lawns and settle back for a relaxed day of conversation and laughter.<\/p>\n

This year, the Festival expanded its range of offerings with a free Friday night outdoor movie screening of “The Godfather”.<\/p>\n

Wild winds that descended on the region on Friday possibly dissuaded some people from attending but by Saturday, the winds had dropped a lot although dust hung in the air.<\/p>\n

Moffatdale Ridge owner Jason Kinsella said he was delighted so many people had ignored the weather.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It was a little breezy on the grounds a few times during the day, but it was pleasant and I think everyone enjoyed themselves,” he said.<\/p>\n

While attendance numbers were marginally down on last year, he believed could be attributed more to the drought than the dust.<\/p>\n

“A few regulars said they couldn’t make it this year because they couldn’t leave their properties, either because they had to feed stock or keep an eye out for bushfires – but told me they’ll be back when conditions improve,” Jason said.<\/p>\n

“We’re primary producers ourselves so I really feel for everyone who’s doing it tough at the moment.”<\/p>\n

Jason said this was a key reason why the Festival focussed on getting local food producers to handle the day’s catering.<\/p>\n

“When times are tough farmers need as much assistance as they can get, and we wanted the Italian Festival to benefit locals wherever possible.<\/p>\n

“I think we helped, and we look forward to doing it next year, too, by which time I hope this drought will have finally come to an end.”<\/p>\n

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