Australia’s Newest Foodie Destination
This spring, discover Griffith in New South Wales – one of Australia’s most vibrant cosmopolitan centres located in the heart of the Riverina region.
Griffith makes the perfect stop whether you’re travelling east to west, north to south or anywhere in between. The regional centre exudes a rich blend of cultures and traditions, with more than 60 nationalities adding to the diverse cultural tapestry. It is a vibrant patch of the country, bursting with life and energy.
The tree-lined main street, Banna Avenue, is dominated by beautiful boutiques and Italian cafes serving great coffee, locally grown food and wine, and homemade gelato. Griffith certainly punches above its weight as a regional shopping mecca for fashion, gifts and lifestyle needs. Come here, and you’ll find it all.
The annual festival season is a wonderful time to visit as local food and world-class wines, friendly people and colourful cultures are on show. Highlights on the Griffith festival calendar include the Griffith Easter Party, A Taste of Italy: Griffith, and the Griffith Spring Fest.
Every October, Griffith blooms for Griffith Spring Fest, a fortnight-long festival featuring a range of attractions and activities to be enjoyed by all. Two of the biggest attractions are the Real Juice Company Citrus Sculptures and the De Bortoli Griffith Garden Festival.
The unique citrus sculptures are a sight to be seen – with locals using over 100,000 oranges and grapefruits to craft the magnificent sculptures. From a full-scale giraffe to a talking robot, you’ll be amazed at the ingenuity of these fruity creations.
The middle weekend of the festival sees an array of locally owned gardens open to the public. The gardens range from humble town gardens with immaculate hedges and creative ideas for turning tight spaces into outdoor sanctuaries, to the expansive rural gardens nestled between orange orchards and vineyards.
The open gardens in Griffith will impress the greenest of thumbs. Upcoming dates for Griffith Spring Fest are:
- 3 9–23 October 2022
- 3 8–22 October 2023
- 3 13–27 October 2024.
No trip to Griffith is complete without a visit to some of the city’s wonderful wineries. The region’s wine industry has a strong heritage of Australian pioneers and Italian immigrants who saw the potential of the Mediterranean climate, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, and the rich, red soil. Griffith produces great quality and affordable table wines, including varietals such as durif and Montepulciano, which are iconic to the area. The statistics are quite impressive, with one in four glasses of Australian wine produced in the Riverina. Alongside this, all of the Riverina’s wineries are family-owned, and the region takes the crown for being the largest wine region in Australia! With great local food producers, passionate chefs and passionate winemakers, it is little wonder Griffith is fast becoming the new destination for foodies. And once you’ve had a taste of Griffith’s authentic hospitality, it is without doubt that you will return back for more.
