There’s a timeless magic to Tasmania’s East Coast. A place where the gentle sweep of the ocean meets fields laden with produce, where cellar doors tell tales of ancestral craft and where every season brings reasons to linger, taste and connect.

In our region two annual celebrations stand out inviting both locals and visitors to an unforgettable communion of food, wine and the spirit of place.

Bicheno Food & Wine Festival: A celebration by the sea

Come November, the tranquil shores of Bicheno come alive with the Bicheno Food & Wine Festival. It’s a daylong gathering that feels both grand and intimate, grand enough to showcase the coast’s finest yet warm enough to feel rooted in community.

Held on the waterfront, the Festival is a vibrant tapestry of Tasmanian excellence: local winemakers pour their best vintages, brewers and distillers share their creations, and a delicious array of food vendors serves up flavours from ocean to orchard. There’s lively music and the chance to meet the folk who coax such flavours from our land and sea.

As the sea breeze mingles with laughter and glasses are raised in celebration, the whole coastline becomes a banquet, effortlessly elegant and delightfully relaxed.

Great Eastern Wine Week: A voyage through vineyards

Spring heralds Great Eastern Wine Week, a celebration that unfolds across rolling vineyard-clad hills and sweeping coastal vistas, from Orford to St Helens. Over the course of four sun-kissed days, boutique cellar doors open their gates, welcoming visitors to savour more than 30 bespoke events – each one a story through taste, place and maker. From masterclasses to long table dinners and from live acoustic sets to insider tours of the vineyard, the week is less a festival and more a curated voyage. It’s where each glass is rooted in character, each plate a tribute to local artisans and each moment a taste of East Coast generosity.

Why these events are unmissable:

• Culinary terroir and ocean gifts – The East Coast’s cool climate, fertile soils and coastal blessings yield extraordinary seafood, award-winning cheeses, crisp berries and elegant cool‑climate wines.
• Encounters with makers – Both events offer the rare privilege of conversing with the farmers, vignerons, brewers and artisans.
• Scenic sensory delight – Whether you’re seated beside gently rolling vines, watching waves lap at the shore or wandering among produce stalls, you become part of the landscape.
• Community and culture in celebration – Rooted in local pride and collaboration, each event feels like an embrace from the region itself.

Planning tips for the curious traveller:

• Reserve early – Particularly for Bicheno Food & Wine Festival, tickets tend to sell fast. Be sure to book early
• Pair festivals with discovery – Explore the Great Eastern Drive, linger at winery cellar doors, stroll pristine beaches, savour seafood fresh from the water or simply slow down and enjoy the view.
• Make it a weekend – A longer stay lets you savour more than just the festival: indulge in local lodgings, discover quiet walking trails and soak in the coastal hospitality.

An invitation to experience the East Coast

Within each event lies a story. Lock in the dates, book your tickets and prepare to feast – not only on food and wine – but on the stories, the tastes and the generosity of place that define Tasmania’s East Coast.