Major changes are in the wind for next year’s 100-Mile Dinner in Canowindra following a move by the organisers, Canowindra@Home, to go it alone without Taste Orange involvement. Plans call for the prestigious event to be moved to March when the weather is warmer, and to stage it on a Saturday night.
The idea is to boost the annual sit-down food fest’s appeal as part of a general program by the Chamber of Business to define, upgrade and develop Canowindra’s tourism and business image throughout the region and in Canberra. Early details of the 100-Mile changes were given in a report by Canowindra@Home member-representative Michelle Porter at last week’s Business Chamber meeting. “We’ve worked hard for the past four years to put Canowindra on the map with the annual dinner,” Michelle says. “The idea now is that by staging it on a Saturday night we can capture a bigger, longer-staying market – coming here Friday night, staying over for the dinner on Saturday and spending Sunday exploring our coffee shops, retail outlets and cultural attractions before going home. What we’ve always wanted is 100-Mile guests who’ll stay longer and spend locally.”
Another key element of the marketing and promotional campaign for Canowindra is the Canowindra@Home’s Twilight Markets which are set down for Saturday October 18. Again, the plan for the event, which will be held in the Memorial Park, is to establish an annual showplace for Canowindra’s rich and varied regional food and wine. “We’re really trying to focus on the people around us who produce a lot of our top-quality fare,” says Michelle. “And we want them to engage visitors personally, talking about their products, promoting them, whether they’re olive oil, jams, pickles or vegetables. We feel this is one way to attract more visitors from major regional centres like Orange.”
By Derek Maitland