The famous Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers begins today (21 September) as Floral Friday marks opening weekend of the Heritage Bank Food & Wine Festival.

The inaugural food and wine festival will feature the world-famous flavours of Southern Queensland Country across wines, cheeses, citrus, slow cooked meats from Shank Brothers, and much more. There will also be cooking demonstrations, chef appearances and a gardening program. The 69th Grand Central Floral Parade will be held on Saturday 22 September as part of the festival. This crowd favourite is expected to attract more than 70 floats and more than 100,000 spectators.

A highlight for this year’s opening weekend festivities is the array of live performances from some of Australia’s music royalty, including The Living End, The Church, The Choirboys, Cloud Control, Chocolate Starfish, Swing On This featuring Rob Mills and more. For something a little different, head to the Teapot Extravaganza and be dazzled by a unique display featuring more htan 400 decorative, functional, novelty and antique teapots. The usual gardens and parks tours will be running throughout the opening weekend as well as during the entirety of the carnival.

More than 176,000 seedlings and bulbs are set to bloom between now and September 30 across some 1000 hectares of beautiful public and private gardens. There are more than 66 unique events and experiences during the carnival showcasing the region’s best food and wine, music, tours and adventures.

Since its inception in 1949, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has flourished and is now an iconic Queensland event. It has owned the title of Best Major Festival or Event for two years at the Australian Tourism Awards.

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