If there’s one thing Brisbane locals know how to do well, it’s a winter road trip with a food stop (or five) along the way. June in the Scenic Rim might just be the ultimate excuse to cancel your plans, pack an overnight bag and spend a weekend eating your way through Queensland’s prettiest region.
Because Scenic Rim Eat Local Month is back for 2026 — and this year it’s bigger than ever.
The beloved food festival is celebrating its 15th birthday with a whopping 153 events across the entire month of June, turning the Scenic Rim into one giant paddock-to-plate playground filled with long lunches, farm tours, bonfires, workshops, wine, baby animals and more local produce than you could possibly fit in your esky.
And yes, there’s carrot ice cream again.
For the uninitiated, the Scenic Rim sits just over an hour from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but somehow feels like a completely different world. Think rolling green hills, dramatic mountain backdrops, tiny country towns, wineries tucked into valleys, roadside farm gates and the kind of cosy cottage stays that practically demand a red wine and an early night.
Winter is when the region really shines too. The mornings are crisp, the sunsets are golden, and every second venue seems to have a fireplace crackling away in the corner. It’s wholesome in the best possible way.
What makes Eat Local Month so special — and why people keep coming back every year — is that it’s not just about eating good food. It’s about meeting the people growing it, cooking it and pouring it. One minute you’re sipping wine overlooking a vineyard, the next you’re standing in the middle of a farm eating produce that was literally picked that morning.
The 2026 program is packed with experiences that range from luxe foodie weekends to chaotic family fun, and there are genuinely too many highlights to fit into one trip.
If your ideal weekend involves “long lunch” energy, you’ll want to look at the farm feasts, paddock dinners and chef collaborations happening throughout the month. One of the buzziest events this year is the collaboration between Tamborine Mountain French bakery Franquette and Brisbane favourite Joy — which already feels destined to sell out approximately five minutes after tickets go live.
There’s also a brand-new Twilight Feast and Luxury Mountain Escape at Verandah House Country Estate, vineyard lunches, intimate dinners under the stars and plenty of opportunities to drink excellent local wine while pretending you’ve moved to the countryside permanently.
If you prefer your food experiences a little more hands-on, there are cocktail masterclasses using local botanicals, pickling workshops, foraging experiences and even a Chocolate, Cheese and Wine afternoon at Bunjurgen Estate — which sounds like the sort of sentence designed in a laboratory to make people immediately book a weekend away.
And then there are the family-friendly events, which honestly sound equally appealing for adults who simply enjoy tiny fluffy animals.
Little Farmers Day Out at Clandulla Cottages & Farmstay gives kids a proper hands-on farm experience, while Northview Highlands is hosting picnic experiences where you can hang out with miniature Highland cows, Valais Blacknose sheep and pygmy goats. Which, frankly, feels like emotional support tourism.
One of the festival’s biggest cult favourites is Kalfresh Carrot Day — and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. The Scenic Rim grows around 600 million carrots every year, making it Australia’s carrot capital, and locals celebrate accordingly. Families flock to the event annually and tickets disappear fast.
But the true grand finale is the Winter Harvest Festival in Kalbar from June 26–28, which wraps up the month with market stalls, live entertainment, farm experiences and the legendary Tractor Pull competition that has somehow become one of the region’s most iconic events.
And then there’s the carrot ice cream.
Every June, Moffatt’s Fresh Produce releases its wildly sought-after carrot ice cream exclusively for Eat Local Month, and people are genuinely obsessed with it. At this point, it’s basically a seasonal pilgrimage.
The best part? You can make Eat Local Month whatever you want it to be. Book a luxury foodie weekend, load the kids into the car for a farm stay, plan a girls’ trip around wineries and long lunches, or just spend a day driving between country towns eating baked goods and buying expensive condiments you absolutely don’t need.
No judgement.
Tickets for Scenic Rim Eat Local Month 2026 are on sale now, and if previous years are anything to go by, the major events will sell out quickly. Accommodation in the region books up fast during winter too, so it’s worth planning ahead if you’re keen for a weekend escape.
You can check out the full program and start plotting your food-filled itinerary at Eat Local Month.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
