2019 Calendar of Events

From camel races and hot-air balloon challenges to canola tours and music festivals, Central NSW – which begins just two hours west of Sydney – has announced its incredible line-up of events for 2019.

Highlights include Cowra Festival (March), F.O.O.D Week and Camel Races in Orange (April), The Canowindra Balloon Challenge (April), Forbes’ Vanfest (May), The Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail (May) and Parkes marks the 50th celebration of man landing on the moon at AstroFest (July). There’re also poetry festivals, canola tours, car races and bush tucker days.

Events are the best time to discover the big heart and legendary characters in the towns and villages of Central NSW. Journey through magnificent landscapes, enjoy authentic food and wine and stay in boutique accommodation.

January 31-February 3

Liqui-Moly Bathurst
12 Hour

A race for GT3, GT4 & invited production-based or specialised endurance vehicles at Mt Panorama…

February 17-24

Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival

Held in various locations around Orange with bush poetry, school performances, entertainment…

February 23

Condobolin Picnic Races

A quintessential country horse-racing experience and one of the largest days in the Condobolin district calendar.

March 15-17

Cowra Festival of International Understanding

Cowra’s longest running event features guest nation Japan with a festival parade, carnival in Bryant Park…

March 15-17

Oberon Heritage and Collectors Fair

displays featuring steam traction engines, military vehicles, vintage tractors, cars, bikes, trucks…

March 30-31

Trundle Back in Time Vintage Rally and Tractor Pull

step back in time in Trundle as they gather vintage farm machines and attempt a record…

March 31

Newcrest Cycle Challenge, Orange

Over 2,000 bike riders from around the world descend on the rolling hills of the Central West…

April 5-6

Picnic at the Blue Dish, Parkes

Dine under the Blue Dish all for a fantastic night and good cause, World Autism Awareness.

April 5-14

F.O.O.D Week, Orange

‘The Food Basket of NSW’ comes alive to showcase the finest fresh produce and cool climate wines. Book in early for signature events including…

April 21

Orange Camel Races

A gorgeous day out for the family with camel racing, market stalls, best dressed boy and girl competition, and other fun entertainment.

April 19-28

Canowindra International Balloon Challenge

Each year the skies above Canowindra come alive with the roar of the burners…

April 29

Parkes Open Houses, Parkes

Unlock the key and open the doors to a selection of majestic homes and building with an interesting story to tell…

May 4

Trundle Abba Festival

Australia’s only and original ABBA festival, and a day jam packed with family-friendly entertainment in Trundle.

May 10-11

Vanfest

The regional music festival, Vanfest, returns to Forbes with another stellar line up from multi-award winning, local and international artists.

May 18-19

Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail

A cultural and educational journey around significant heritage sites in Bathurst, Australia’s oldest inland…

June 6-10

Henry Lawson Festival, Grenfell

Grenfell is the birthplace of Henry Lawson, one of Australia’s best loved poets…

June 12

Cowra’s Fireworks Spectacular

Celebrate the Queen’s Birthday under a star-filled country sky with a huge bonfire, dazzling fireworks, live…

June 9-10

Lake Cargelligo Historical Museum Open Day

Visit the keeping place for local history and memorabilia of the town and district.

June 9

Parkes Pow Wow – Australian Scale Aerobatics, Parkes

Watch the scale aeroplane, with 2-3m wingspan with engines up to 200cc twin and 4-cylinder motors fill the…

July 6-21

Bathurst Winter Festival

Held in Bathurst’s heritage heart, the festival is a showcase of all that is vibrant, creative and unique in this region. Watch buildings come alive…

July 19-21

50th Anniversary of Man Landing on the Moon, Parkes

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and man landing on the moon with a weekend of astro, science and pop culture at the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope.

July 19-21

AstroFest, Parkes

The annual AstroFest & Conference is hosted by the Central West Astronomical Society (CWAS) and incorporates the David Malin Awards Astrophotography Competition this year joining forces with the 50th Anniversary celebrations.

July (tbc late)

Cowra Wine Show Public Tasting

Cowra is proud to have one of Australia’s largest wine shows and the Public Tasting is a signature event on the Wine Show Calendar. Test your wine tasting skills against expert judges and sample some of the best wines…

August 2-3

Winter Fire Festival, Orange Region

Inspired by the Australian cracker night bonfire tradition, the Winter Fire Festival celebrates the Orange Region’s authentic country winters with bonfires, char grilled feasts, star gazing and blazing Sunday lunches in…

August 4-5

75th Anniversary of the Cowra Breakout

A host of services and events commemorate the anniversary of…

August 9-1o

Tullamore Annual Show

The first agricultural Tullamore Annual Show was held in 1918. It closed during the World War II period from 1941 …

August 23-24

Condobolin Annual Show

Watch the competitive classes for horses, and see the prized Merino sheep and their fleeces, cattle…

September 7

Trundle Bush Tucker Day

A family-fun event held at the Trundle Showgrounds with bush cooking competitions, cooking displays…

September 21

Grazing Down the Lachlan, Forbes

A magical foodie experience, with a long-lunch under the river gums and by the Lachlan River, a location rich in history renowned for Songlines and its droving past.

September 14

Caragabal Sheep Races, Caragabal

Annual Caragabal Sheep Races offer you the authentic country experience. The family friendly day offers six races, kids entertainment, lolly drop from a plane, bar and canteen, free…

September

Fields of Gold Canola Tours and Cowra Wine & Forage Tours

A must-do for photographers and foodies, Cowra’s landscape bursts into colour each Spring and is the perfect time to join a popular Canola Tour…

September 28

Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival, Cowra

A major annual event on Cowra’s tourism calendar celebrating the birth of spring when the cherry blossoms are at their peak, and a chance to experience traditional elements of…

October 10-13

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

Held at Mount Panorama, see the legends of past and future push their cars, teams and themselves to…

October 13

Parkes Open Gardens, Parkes

Spend the day exploring a selection of stunning local gardens hosted by Quota International of Parkes.

October 18-27

Orange Wine Festival

The region’s premium wines are showcased at this event with wine shows, tastings, educational workshops and celebrations with local produce.

October 19

Show ‘N’ Shine and Swap Meet, Parkes

A car lovers paradise held in Parkes with cars of all varieties on show as well as a market day.

October 24-26

Australian National Field Days, Borenore

Australia’s oldest annual agricultural exhibition, showcasing the latest in…

November 2-3

Millthorpe Garden Ramble

Where a stroll never felt so good, ramble through 10 open gardens in the picturesque Millthorpe Village and…

November 2-9

Oberon Outdoor Week

A must for anyone who loves the outdoors or those looking to explore the culture and history of the…

November 2-3

Carcoar Cup Running Festival

A premier new race on the Australian Athletics Calendar for runners of all sorts.

November – 22-24

Four Wheels, Food and Wine, a Classic Car Event, Orange

For the car enthusiast, witness golden oldie cars with the ‘show and shine’ displays, food stalls, classic car rides…

November (tbc late)

The Inland Sea of Sound Festival, Bathurst

Bringing together some of the countries’ top artists atop Mount Panorama for a 2-day music feast.