April 26th, 2022All things potatoes and more at Spudfest

AS AUTUMN stretches out, Trentham spud farmers are starting to pull their potatoes out of the ground – just in time for The Great Trentham Spudfest on Saturday, May 7.
There’ll be freshly dug spuds for sale, food trucks offering taste sensations with a potato theme, gourmet produce and artisan craft stalls.
Make your way around town on a horse and cart ride, linger over Devonshire Teas or sashay away to an afternoon of live music.

For the families there’s mini golf, face painting and gourmet ice creams to name a few. Trentham also has some the fabulous stores and cafes of Market and High streets.
The very first Spudfest took place in 2008, which the UN had declared International Year of the Potato in recognition of the importance of the humble spud as a staple food for the world’s population.
Local resident and then president of the Trentham Rail and Tramway Association, Bob White, saw an opportunity to reinvigorate the town and started planning a spud-themed event.
“When I learned that 2008 was the International Year of the Potato, I thought it would be a great time to celebrate Trentham’s proud history of potato growing. At that time, Trentham was in the doldrums. The Cosmo Hotel had been extensively damaged by fire and was closed. I felt the town needed something to get it going again. The idea was to get as many organisations around the town to work together to create a festival in honour of the spud and inject some life back into the town.”
The first Spudfest took place in May 2008 and stretched over an entire weekend, punctuated by a potato dinner at the Mechanics Institute on the Saturday night.
This year’s event will be based at the old Trentham Railway Station and stretch up the charming, oak tree-lined Market Street.
It’s always a fantastic event and one not to be missed.
Link: www.trenthamspudfest.org.au
Above, Blackwood farmer John Dunn with a handful of spuds getting ready for Spudfest
Words: Contributed | Image: Kyle Barnes