The Clyde Wine and Food Festival, Otago’s biggest and longest running festival, drew thousands to the historic town yesterday to sample the food, wine and beer and indulge in a spot of shopping while being entertained by local musicians.
Promote Dunstan has been running the festival for 23 years, with Covid restrictions forcing cancellations in 2020 and last year.
Dunedin couple Brian and Jill Houston attend every festival.
They rented a house in Clyde every year for the weekend, Mrs Houston said.
For another group who had all gone to Otago University together it was second time lucky.
Maia Peart-Anderson said they had met up in Clyde last year with the intention of going to the festival, which because of Covid could not go ahead.
Promote Dunstan committee secretary Louise Joyce said they had sold tickets online this year to make getting into the event quicker.
She had broken her own rule of not checking the weather forecast before the festival day.
A few weeks ago there were ominous black clouds on the map, so yesterday’s sunshine was a welcome surprise, she said.
It was difficult to gauge how many people had gone through the gates but the 4000 glasses made for the event were almost gone. The final numbers would not be known for a few days.
Promote Dunstan would give money raised from the festival to community groups and projects.
Each year a donation was also made to support the Central Otago Winegrowers Association’s exchange programme to send young trainee winemakers to Burgundy, in France, for work experience in vineyards there.
