Food, wine & beer festivals

Apollo Bay Seafood & Produce Festival

February. The local fruits of the sea and forest are showcased at this free annual event on the Apollo Bay foreshore. There will be market and food stalls, cooking demonstrations, live music, dancing and roving performers.

Location: Apollo Bay

Bendigo Craft Beer & Cider Festival

March. An amazing range of award winning craft beers and ciders from all over the state and beyond are brought together for a fun-filled day of tastings, gourmet food, live music and entertainment for kids. It is held at the Tom Flood Sports Centre.

Location: Bendigo

Budburst Festival

November. Boutique wineries and restaurants in the Macedon Ranges open their doors for a springtime weekend celebrating the food, wine and lifestyle of this acclaimed region. There are wine tastings, delicious food and lots of entertainment.

Geelong Beer Festival

January. This celebration of craft beers and ciders is held at Geelong Racecourse. Brewers will showcase over 200 craft beers and ciders which visitors can sample and indulge in while enjoying Australia's biggest alfresco beer and cider garden. There will also be food stalls, competitions, live music and lots of entertainment.

Location: Geelong

Good Beer Week

May. Good Beer Week celebrates all that is good about beer. There's hundreds of events during this festival at various venues throughout Melbourne and Victoria, showcasing some of the best local and international brewers. Enjoy fine food, great beers, music and entertainment.

Grampians Grape Escape

May. It is Victoria's longest running food and wine festival, held every year during autumn in the heart of the Grampians National Park. At this gastronomic spectacular there are over 100 food and wine artisans exhibiting their creations as well as cooking demonstrations, live music, performances and kids entertainment.

Location: Halls Gap

Heathcote Wine & Food Festival

October. Held at the Heathcote Showgrounds, this event showcases wines from the region with tastings, regional food, live music and entertainment

Location: Heathcote

Kalorama Chestnut Festival

May. Held at the Kalorama Memorial Reserve, this colourful event features stalls of food including roasted chestnuts, craft stalls, fairground rides and music

Location: Kalorama

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

March. Experience and celebrate a world of gastronomy and wine at hundreds of vibrant events staged in Melbourne and throughout Victoria. Showcasing the best of Australian food and wine, there are outdoor food stalls, wine tasting, high teas, meals prepared by acclaimed chefs, cooking classes, demonstrations, and the signature event The World's Longest Lunch.

Peninsula VineHop Festival

November. Enjoy a weekend of beer, wine, cider, entertainment and food at a number of renowned wineries on the Mornington Peninsula. Catch up with friends, sample local brews, listen to live music and DJs, and indulge in delicious food from unique food trucks. Transport is provided between venues.

Rutherglen Wine Show

September. With a history that goes back over a century, the Rutherglen Wine Show showcases wines from the region with exhibitions, public tastings and judging.

Location: Rutherglen

Shortest Lunch

June. Visit the Yarra Valley's smaller boutique winemakers during the shortest weekend of the year for a moving feast of entree size meals. Enjoy a relaxed, family-oriented weekend of wine, expertly matched cuisine and music.

Swan Hill Food & Wine Festival

March. Held in conjunction with the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, this weekend event in Swan Hill features food tastings, entertainment, a farmers market and signature dinners at various restaurants

Location: Swan Hill

Tastes of Rutherglen

March. Discover the Rutherglen region's best wine and produce during this progressive foodie feast weekend. Visit a number of wineries and sample the incredible flavours of local wines and food from celebrated regional chefs. Entertain those of all ages with masterclasses, workshops, tours, talks, live music, childrens activities and exclusive dinners.

Location: Rutherglen

Tastes of the Goulburn

April. Experience the finest food and wine from the Goulburn River Valley. Winemakers, brewers, restauranteurs and growers will showcase their finest produce and there will be celebrity chef demonstrations as well as food stalls. The entertainment stage will feature a diverse range of live music and there will be lots of activities for children. A vintage steam train will operate a return service to Seymour from Melbourne's Southern Cross Station on the day of the festival.

Location: Seymour

Toast to the Coast

October. Showcasing the best wines and gourmet food from the Bellarine Peninsula, Surf Coast and Moorabool Valley. Visit a selection of award-winning wineries, sample their offerings in a picturesque vineyard setting, and enjoy live entertainment.

Wandiligong Nut Festival

April. Chestnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts fall in the orchards and laneways of Wandiligong. Celebrate the local nut harvest with music, food, tastings, cooking demonstrations and a produce market.

Location: Wandiligong

Wild Harvest Seafood Festival

November. Showcasing the abundance and variety of seafood in Victoria's far east, the Wild Harvest Seafood Festival is a celebration of the land, the sea and indigenous culture. Highlights of the festival include a seafood market with entertainment, live music, fishing lessons and boat cruises on the inlet.

Location: Mallacoota

Williamstown Beer & Cider Festival

November. Held at the Seaworks Maritime Precinct, there will be 25 beer, cider and wine makers at the event showcasing their creations, with many products available for sampling. Also live music, great entertainment and food stalls.

Location: Williamstown

Winery Walkabout

June. Winery Walkabout has been held since 1974 and is one of the biggest annual wine festivals in Australia. Visit a selection of wineries and enjoy wine tastings, food, masterclasses, entertainment and tours.

Location: Rutherglen