Granny Smith Festival 2014

City of Ryde’s Granny Smith Festival on Saturday 18 October, 2014 from 9am-8pm was more than a fiesta of apples, but a celebration of the community around the area.

“The annual Granny Smith Festival celebrates the life and legacy of one of our district’s most famous citizens, Maria Ann Smith – aka Granny Smith – who, back in 1868, ‘accidentally’ grew the first batch of little green apples that bear her name and are now grown all over the world. ”

With an estimated 80,000 people who attend each year, the event is supported by local businesses, sporting and service organisations, schools and the wider community – and EVERYONE gets involved – even the staff at Eastwood train station makes a special announcement after every train arrives. The experience starts from the moment you step off that train.

The first thing I notice walking to the park next to the library is that even the library wall is painted with kids from multicultural backgrounds with Granny Smith Festivals! For those who don’t know, Eastwood is very Asian? Lots of chinese, korean, vietnamese food and shops. I love how they’ve embraced this!

Walking in the park, it was like a school carnival! Flying chairs, spinning teacups, bumper cars, showbags.. there was the lot!

They were mostly 5 coupons each (or $5) so head to the booth to gather your tickets.

So do we ‘accidentally’ encourage children to gamble already…?

The best kids toy out there was the dinosaur bubble gun. Honestly, how cool is that? Plus there’s a santa one as well.

I honestly wished that I was a kid again. Everyone was buzzing around! The Country Cousins Barn was massive with a range of mostly goats and sheep.

It was $2 a cup to feed them but be aware- they are more mature and could literally jump on your chest to grab it off you! If you’re like me and am scared of animals, this would not be your cup of tea.

Heading to the furthest end of the oval were food stalls and crafty shops. A Granny Smith Festival is not a granny smith festival without toffee apples!!

There was henna and caricatures drawn.

I’m not sure if this is an actual trend but I’m noticing that chips-on-a-stick is like a thing. The fatty crispy goodness is the most popular snack at almost every festival I go to- I guess it’s cheap for a meal? =S

There were tons of stalls including Nepalese momos, Vietnamese rolls, Turkish gozlemes, Korean fishballs and more.

We settled for the paella with the lot – jealous? It was delicious and made on the spot. It was very heavy on the sauces and it was enough for two people!

Sitting down infront of the stage, we saw really fun acts from school groups and the community. I actually cannot believe how talented kids can be. Well.. I guess they are hilarious to watch and its just super cute. My favourite were the little kids in tutus.. and they did flips, the splits and all these groovy moves! (I kinda wished I went to dance class when I was a kid).

Might I say, the crowd were loving it!

Another thing City of Ryde were doing was a ‘test’ where you had to look up the clues on Facebook and Twitter, action the clue and then you’ll receive a slice of apple pie or apple cupcake. When we arrived, it was answering when the first granny smith apple was grown and thanks to the train station man, I was very close to guessing the right one! The answer was in the leaflet though.

It was d-e-l-i-ciousss!

Next to it was a photobooth promoting Grandparent’s Day on Sunday 26 October. It was so much fun dressing up!

The Salvation Army had a massive amount of space and I’m surprised at how much they brought in! There were heaps of clothes, shoes, hats, accessories and homeware. They also had a coffee/hot chocolate van.

Walking up on Progress Avenue near IGA and the fresh fruit market, there were so many clothing and jewelry shops it was absolutely amazing. There were some winning bargains including rings, bracelets and necklaces for $5?

The queue was a bit hectic with the free face painting- I mean, who doesn’t want to look pretty?

Another trend I’ve noticed were the lucky dips. When I was a kid, I used to love these!!! I must say, I love surprises.

I also realised that a lot of community centres and churches were present. Macquarie Anglican were extremely popular with their balloon-making.

OK, the next stall was the best thing ever- there were minecraft toys and accessories! You could get a showbag and there were swords, small creepers, TNTs, necklaces, even SUNGLASSES! This was amazing!

Apparently these gold metallic tatts are ‘in’ right now.

As always, The Avenue had plenty of food stalls and the scouts had $4 sausage sizzle which turned into $1.30 sausage sizzles. I loved how all the kids were excited to be squeezing tomato sauce and collecting money!

The most popular of the lot was the place which did chorizo and garlic prawn rolls. It smelt so good and the line was possibly too long. I know they’re at Chatswood every week so defs popping by there!

The Arcade area was decorated with colourful flags.

These lovely ladies are proud of their home made jams and Christmas puddings. Such a lovely thing to do when you’re slightly older!

Kids did sandpainting! I remember doing this as a child! All you had to do is rip the sticker off and fill it with coloured sand. It was so easy and it required no creativity. Everyone also had perfect pictures.

Something that I should’ve bought were these cats on benches. They were only selling at $1.50-$2 each and they would’ve been a great accessory to my desk at work!

I’m actually glad that the stalls I remember from my last Granny Smith Festival are in the same spot. In particular, the soft toys and fun stuff for the kids. I mean, there were even stuffed koalas and kangeroos which would’ve been a great souvenir gift if I was going overseas (if only).

At the end of The Arcade was a clown amusing the kids with his party tricks! The kids got really engaged and were screaming and shouting in laughter!

After this, we walked back onto Rowe Street where there were tons more stalls. The possibilities were endless..

Candle Story offered candle cupcakes and rose soap! All you have to do is drop a petal into your bath tub and you’re set! How romantic..

City of Ryde’s blackboard “Ryde is my community because..” asked the the community to share their thoughts on why they love Ryde. I wrote ‘transport exchange’ because it was literally where I would catch my bus to school every morning when I was at school. I didn’t even notice someone was watching me and I received a rugby ball as a prize – yay!

Watch our for the moving tree- it will literally snip off your heads if he wanted!

Infucious’ jars were fun! I didn’t realise how many different types of tea one person could supply! They even made tea-infused cookies which were delicious!

At the end of Rowe Street was the iconic ice cream truck. It was a sunny day and we’d finally saw everything!! Took possibly 5 hours.. but we had a lot of fun!

See you next year for your 30th birthday party, Granny Smith Festival!

Rating Review: (1-5, with 5 being exceptional)

Event (Granny Smith Festival): 4.75/5

Ambience: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Value: 4.5/5

Would I recommend going to Granny Smith Festival? If you live near Eastwood, I would highly recommend it. One of the things we’ve noticed is that a lot of primary school and high school kids come. For them, it’s a chance to hang out with friends and meet others! If you’re a shopper then this would be for you too! There’s so much going on its amazing!

Highlight: Everyone getting involved. It’s quite rare that the WHOLE community gets behind a festival. A lot of the shops in Eastwood have Granny Smith Apple decorations, signs, apples.. I can’t believe it! The stallholders and people in the area really make an effort and the attendance is spectacular!

Suggestion of improvement: Although there was a lot of green apples out and about in particular areas, I didn’t really feel it ‘celebrated’ Granny Smith? I think in previous years there were huge apples hanging from The Arcade which I guess got us in the apple spirit. Everything was well set up and I really liked the variety of stalls involved. Shame they all had to shut at around 5pm!! Should’ve stayed for the Bon Jovi Concert at 6 and the fireworks at 8pm.. ohwell! It was so much fun!

Link: http://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Community/Special+Events/Granny+Smith+Festival

Official hashtag: #WeLoveGSF

Angela Bee

Kings Cross Festival 2014

Macleay Street Long Table made family- friendly eating in the middle of the road at Kings Cross an unexpected reality as part of the Kings Cross Festival at 10am- 5pm on Sunday October 12, 2014 with the surroundings of Fitzoy Gardens.

“At this year’s Kings Cross Festival, you’ll find our local restaurants and cafes, all in the one place!”

What comes to mind on Sunday at Kings Cross? Saturday nights could be a bit rough..maybe the occasional kebab on the way home…but if you wake up with a starving stomach, then this was the place to be. The variety of food was endless and if you were up for some wine tastings, there was the option too!

Walking from Kings Cross station, I  honestly didn’t expect to see so many people around.

Surprise surprise! There was a cooking demonstration going on.

After purchasing wine glasses, 5 tastings for $15, there were a range of stalls to choose from.

Nubian Estate and their proud owner.

Batlow Cider Co had a delicious great of cider-duh. Thanks for letting me know that there are 3.5 apples in every bottle! That’s healthy, right? Or perhaps maybe too healthy?

Alcofree had an assortment of alcohol- free drinks. The packaging makes the difference, aye?

Artisans Bottega del Vino not only specialised in wine, but bread too!

I remember going on my lunch breaks around Kings Cross earlier this year and the park was pretty dead except the few office workers who enjoyed the sun when it came out. Now look at how many people there are.

Very close to the iconic fountain- ball thing was Puntino Trattoria. There were nonnas dressed in white making gnocchi at its best! Look at them go!

$12 a plate and look at the enthusiastic chef stirring dem pasta! Remember: mixed plate = misto per favor!

The absolute highlight of the festival were the long tables beneath the luscious green trees.  The fantastic thing about thee long tables are that you can socialise and meet other people from your community. There were also separate tables and a bar in the space.

The favourite place the Events team at Cancer Council loved to go for lunch was Harajuku Gyoza. It’s reasonably priced and there’s gyozas with peanut butter, banana and Nutella and salted caramel. Sold. There was even a lady dressed up with pink hair! Sold.

Overall there were a few taste testers here and there but the majority if food was $6 a plate. It’s so good you end up trying everything! Most of it is small little eats like tacos…

Sweethearts rooftop sold their delightful beef brisket sliders and salads for only $3 each.

Towards the back side if the festival, there’s some space to play giant chess.

And to generally chill.

At this side of the festival, there were stalls aside from food such as knit wear, bank stuff, pet food, games and a book shop.

Did I mention there was a farm too? It was crowded! There was a $5 entry fee but the animals looked so cute! Check out the fluffy chicken!

The stalls mentioned above were only a few I stumbled upon. Is could be worse than deciding at the Night Noodle Markets! Here, it’s cheaper and he portions are designed to  be small enough for you to go through courses and courses! Who doesn’t love a long lunch?

Rating Review: (1-5, with 5 being exceptional)

Event (Kings Cross Festival): 4.5/5

Ambience: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Value: 4.5/5

Would I recommend going to Kings Cross Festival next year? Are you a foodie? Or perhaps a wine lover just generally in the area? The eateries in the Kings Cross area have congregated to deliver the best of the best all at the same time for a celebration of food and fun.

Highlight: I haven’t seen long tables at food festivals before! It’s been mostly chairs and tables, or even funky chairs. Despite the lack of greenery around the area, the organisers have thought this one out! I also love the smaller eats from all the vendors. I love trying everything!

Suggestion of improvement: there were so many stalls I couldn’t believe how much of a community the people around the Kings Cross Area brings! I think everyone was heaps together but perhaps too together and it would’ve been better if there was more space between the tents- particularly around the food areas because it was a good squish!

Link: http://www.kingscrossfestival.com.au/

Occurs: Annually

Official hashtag: #kingscrosscolour

Angela Bee

Smooth Festival of Chocolate 2014

Chocolate-lovers paradise became a reality with hundreds of artesian chocolate stalls at the Smooth Festival of Chocolate, held from 10am-5pm on October 4 & 5 at The Rocks.

”The smooth Festival of Chocolate is a celebration of sweet, indulgent desserts, where Sydney’s best boutique chocolatiers, pastry chefs and ice cream makers will come together to tempt you with their creations.”

What a gorgeous start to the long weekend! With the sun coming out and a huge variety of chocolate, what more could you have asked for the perfect weekend? On Saturday morning I caught the ferry around the harbour and landed in Circular Quay- where all the fun started. Remember: in Heaven, chocolate has no calories and is served as a main course.

You could see the line of white tents set up in the grass area and everyone just enjoying the sun. It’s no wonder we came across Gelato Messina first! Their specialty Willie’s Cacao (Venezuelan cacao) and the Milk of Gods (choc fudge and brownie) sound a-mazing!! As expected, the line for it was l-o-n-g.

Similarly to the Aroma (coffee) Festival a couple of months back, Voodoo displayed their variety of rocky road. It’s quite cheap- $2.50 each!

Parisi, which sells chocolate covered fruit was also at the festival. Very fitting and so tempting.. I love the gourmet look and chocolate with shredded coconut would be my recommendation.

The reward to the stall that bought the most culture to our doorsteps was Mayan Xocolat. We were greeted with chilli, cardamom and chocolate covered coffee beans which were an absolute delight! My friend and I waited quite a long time to grab our exotic chilli, cardamom and cinnamon coffee but it was sooo worth it! It was the pre, during and after taste that got us excited!

The bunting at Alpine Berry Farm got me excited. Strawberries and chocolate go well but I’m just liking the bunting here #simplybutcrafty

The highlight of our experience at the Chocolate Festival was the Gramophones man!!!! He was in his own little world, playing his beats on a portable wheel. Not only did he have the tunes of the decade, but he had the grooves too! #entertainmentathisbest

After we did the rounds next to the MCA, we headed up the stairs to George Street. I must admit, I did expect more stalls to be there because there were tons at Aroma, but chocolate is a specialty and there aren’t as many chocolate shops as there are cafes! We walked up to where the food markets are usually and the fun continued!

Firstly, cinnamon doughnuts with spicy choc sauce? I do sense a bit of chilli theme going on here after the Mayan coffee I bought but it gets even more interesting…

Bavarian Bier Café served ribs rubbed with chocolate!! #wow! The sweet and savoury saga had continued! We weren’t sure about this and I’m (quite) eager to try this at home but this one is for the boys! #manup

Heading upstream, we passed this shop with hundreds and thousands!! There was even a freckled chocolate box used as a piñata!

The Smooth festival of Chocolate could not be complete with your typical waffles, chocolate frappes and crepes! I must admit, the world of French crepes suddenly appeared all at once!

I don’t think I ate one thing that was savoury for the whole day. There were too many desserts and too many tempting goods. They all looked super gourmet and super pretty.

The ladies at Mrs Fields was having some fun!! Love it!!! Go for some chocolate cookies with chocolate drizzled on top.. mmmm

Mr and Mrs Chocolate made an appearance as well! How about a dress with Ferrero Roches attached?

These honey queen puffs look amazing! Topped with cinnamon, they’re looking crunchy and tasty!

I love all things funky. The Chocolate Pot sold ‘reeaal dirty hot choc drinking soil’ – not bad when it comes to growing more cocoa beans?

Serendipity had their own DIY ice cream. I would prefer this to the Magnum store because they had more varieties of ice cream and toppings for $6. (Still pricey but a Magnum is $8).

The most interesting stall was Knafeh, Jerusalem street food. Basically you could see the whole production process from their giant van. FYI, Knafeh is cheese pastry soaked in sweet sugar-based syrup, topped with crushed pistachios.

LoveDemApples is smart enough to provide us with a healthy alternative. Remmber: An apple (covered with chocolate) a day keeps the doctor away!

I kind of expected more music to be at the festival but there were onto three stages. There wasn’t much happening at one of them and the one below was probably the most chilled. I love the seating with the haystacks.

I was told that one of the places I must go to was at the Tafe. ChocolArts makes fresh chocolate and there’s a demonstration of how they make the chocolate. There’s an art to making chocolate, but there’s an even more refined art when it comes to designing with chocolate. Have a look at the designs below.

Conclusion: a balanced diet is chocolate in both hands

P.S. Obligatory Circular Quay photo #tourist #ArtamdAbout

Rating Review: (1-5, with 5 being exceptional)

Event (Smooth festival of Chocolate): 4/5

Ambience: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5

Value: 4/5

Would I recommend going to the Smooth Festival of Chocolate? Love chocolate? Need a break from work? Take some time off and grab head to the festival! There’s a bit of food porn here but if it will get you through the day, then I don’t see an excuse not to come!

Highlight: All the chocolate! What I loved about this festival was that it was just the same old chocolate you would get from our  usual supermarkets. The people there were small businesses, each with unique takes of chocolate. Where else could you get chilli, cardamom and cinnamon coffee beans? How about the ginger, coconut and chocolate blocks?

Suggestion of improvement: We absolutely loved all the chocolate stalls and it was a bit random having the occasional savoury eateries? I guess it’ll be a good balance if there is (and could we ever have) too much chocolate but what I’m saying is that it doesn’t really make too much sense if a jazz singer sings at a rock n roll concert. I must say, the Gramophone man was the best!

Link: http://www.smoothfestivalofchocolate.com.au/

Angela Bee

Cabramatta Moon Festival 2014

A total immersion into Vietnamese culture was experienced at Cabramatta’s Moon Festival, which was held conveniently on the same day as Father’s Day this year on Sunday 7 September 2014.

“The Cabramatta Moon Festival is recognised as one of Sydney’s premier and largest Asian celebrations. People from all parts of Sydney and different cultural backgrounds take part to celebrate the ancient Moon Festival tradition.

 It’s a festival for family and friends to enjoy and celebrate good health and fortune.”

Cabramatta for me is a lifetime away.. and the fact that my family and I drove all the way there is a testament to how lively and fantastic this festival was. In fact, I felt like I was transported back to Vietnam!! – why do I not live closer?  If you don’t have a car, don’t fret because the train station is literally next to the scene.

When we arrived, there was a little sectioned out space where dancers showed off their cool moves. There was a bit of cheering here and there and it was a good attempt by the youngsters.

What I noticed when I got to Cabramatta was that it was very family-oriented. The animals made an appearance..

There were a lot of rides .. every. where. Normally there would be a tiny little section, but this time it was spread out to a few areas. This was a giant carnival I wished I had when I was a kid!

My favourite stall was the umbrella-painting. The kids there were very cute and got to paint their umbrellas and even put some sparkles on top! I loved how vibrant they were and the stands made them shine.

Other than the rides and activities for kids, there were of course there were a billion shops selling cheap/delicious stuff. I won’t be sure about the quality, but if you were looking for quilts and food, Cabramatta would offer your needs at a discount. From shoes

To cosmetics

To toys

There were just stalls and stalls and stalls and stalls… and it was the typical ‘there are too many people so I’m going to stomp on you’ vibe.

There was also a stage for the youngsters to speak.. oh and I forgot to mention the radio station that was pumping Gangnam style on loud speaker? I thought it was Korean? Sorry..

Just like the typical Chinatown, there was the grand gate.

It was kind of hard getting a good photo with all the people around the place, but I reckon I did well only needing the top half. Very traditional with a ginormous lantern.

Walking inside, there were more lanterns and tents! It was so crazy and this was not even lunch or dinner time!! I was there at around 3-5pm?!

Anyways, I had the liberty of trying a funky drink (which my mum had never ever seen and I was shocked.. but then again, I have been to Vietnam before) and it was soooooooooooooooooo delicious! Mixed jelly with ice. Get onto it. It’s just a mixture of jelly goodness, with ice and coconut milk. It’s insanely healthy (not) and insanely the best drink during the summer.

I must say, The Walking Advertisement always attracts some free stuff of some sort and at Cabramatta’s Moon Festival, it was these tasty snacks! I would say they are the ‘chips’ of Vietnam but come in a variety of flavours- sweet and savoury.

While we’re on the topic of food, the smell of pho was irresistible. Only $7 for a massive bowl of noodle which could’ve easily fed 2 people.. there’s definitely a bargain here. I would just like to say again, why don’t I live around Cabra??!!

I eventually gave up and bought some takeaway food. The excuse was that it was for tomorrow’s lunch (but really I just wanted to eat it straight away as ‘afternoon tea’).

Side note- there was an insane amount of ATMs and possibly the most I’ve seen in any suburb. There were no queues so kudos.

As we closed off the loop, we ended up at a stage with little kids performing in a large tent. It was absolutely packed but quite entertaining.

Well, I’m definitely coming next year ! Mai mốt gặp lại (See you soon!)

Rating Review: (1-5, with 5 being exceptional)

Event (Cabramatta Moon Festival): 4.75/5

Ambience: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Value: 4.75/5

Would I recommend going to Cabramatta Moon Festival? IF you love a bit of Vietnamese culture, or even experiencing another culture at your doorstep, then Cabramatta would’ve been my ‘highly commended’ place to be. I honestly cannot stress how many people were there- apparently there were approximately 90,000 in 2013! Vietnam itself is a busy place, and Cabramatta is a busy place.

Highlight: Going to all the markets was a highlight. No, stepping on everyone’s feet was a highlight. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve never been to Cabramatta so I didn’t know what to expect. I got excited at the $7 pho bowls because they smelt amazing! It also reminded me of the times I felt tempted to buy cheap clothes then figured out they weren’t top quality.. #goodtimes #memories.

Suggestion of improvement: A problem with most festivals is that there is no linear/circular route but Cabra’s Moon Festival was pretty amazing at that. We went in a full circle and I feel we experienced everything.. maybe except for any performances! Wished we saw some cultural dancing but I guess it depends what time you arrive, right?

Link: http://www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/default.asp?iDocID=10312&iNavCatId=3313&iSubCatId=3313

Angela Bee

Sydney Koreatown Festival

Gimme some yummy kimchi!!  We wonder through Pitt Street to grab a taste of bulgogi, traditional Korean music, cultural dances and kimchi at the Sydney Koreatown Festival on Saturday February 1, 2014.

“Celebrate the Lunar New Year Korean style, with delicious food, performance and activities for the whole family.”

“Arirang” is a Korean folk song, often considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea.

Coming out onto the George Street Event cinemas from Townhall station,  turn left down a small lane way and you will would’ve seen a long queue waiting to kick a ball into wheeling spots.

Pitt street was blocked off with white tents on both sides of the road, with hundreds of people checking out the small variety of stalls.

The cultural exchange office had a selection of brochures on display.

Check out the Korean food! I must admit, I saw my first kimchi fridge the other week at my friend’s house. I was very impressed.

There were even some fancy savings if you bought either home ware or packaged noodles.

Who didn’t have these spicy Korean noodles at school? You missed out big time. I absolutely love hot and spicy noodles!

Walking down, the main stage kept the seated and standing guests very entertained. Too bad there was a long intermission between acts that unfortunately lost lots of viewers.

But there was a massive crowd for each performance. I’m sure this attracted tons of people who were passing by.

Drummers banged to their hearts content, sharing traditional music to those who haven’t been exposed to Korean culture before.

Ladies in traditional costumes sang while the band played. How beautiful are the dresses?

A person in the white was doing calligraphy from a traditional Korean tune on a long sheet of fabric that was rolled out from the stage to the stalls.

Girls danced from CrossOver Dance Studio, who were also the ‘open special’ performance for the K Factor competition (Kpop cover contest).

Later on a band were tearing up the street with their exceedingly loud music.

These were the MCs.

Overall the normal stroll from Townhall and Central turned into a journey through exotic kimchi land. I like it.

Review Rating: =D  =)  =|  =(

Product (Sydney Koreatown Festival): =)

Ambience: =D

Service: =)

Value: =)

Would I go to the Sydney Koreatown festival every year? If I was in the city for the day, obviously, why not! It doesn’t take long to peep through all the stalls unless you want to line up and kick a ball in the circles to win lollies. But I would not intentionally come all the way to the city for it? Maybe because I don’t have a Korean background, but I asked a few friends from Korea and they weren’t too interested.

Would I pay to go to the Sydney Koreatown Festival? Probably not so. Sharing a different culture is so wonderful and experiencing that was absolutely lovely. I feel like if I paid to go to, for example, to a Korean dance? then I would have very high expectations and wanting to feel extremely immersed into their culture and maybe even challenged.

Highlight: I don’t know if many people know this, but a lot of Koreans get plastic surgery for their 18th or 21st birthday. I think this is still quite relevant these days so it was fun to see a plastic surgery stall there. Just some fun back thoughts! From last year, the stage was better, organisation with program was done better, and there were more stalls and sponsors.

Suggestion of Improvement: the space was actually quite small so it made everything seem a bit congested, particularly the sidewalks.  Activities would’ve been ideal to get the wider community involved. Even competitions whereby someone needs to read some interesting facts about Korea would’ve made the experience more enriching. Also, the program might’ve needed perhaps mixing traditional and modern dance/music? My time there was great, but a few people have said they only saw Kpop and would’ve liked more traditional dances. The festival was meant to finish at 8pm but stalls were closing at 6pm which was a bit disappointing…. Oh, and more bins please!

Ends: February 1, 2014
Link: http://www.sydneychinesenewyear.com/festival-program/sydney-koreatown-festival-2/

Angela Bee and Pockybox