willunga recreation park
WILLUNGA ALMOND BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
entry
Families $25
Children under 5 FREE
50+
Years of family fun

A weekend of show rides and family activities, with circus performers, animal nursery, camel rides, market stalls, live local music and lots of delicious food, wine and beer stalls.
Family Fair Weekend
A weekend of family fun with show rides, camel & pony rides, food trucks, live music, market stalls, fireworks, almond inspired cookery competition too.

Fireworks
Join us Saturday night around the oval for our annual fireworks display. Starts 7:00pm weather permitting.

Tour our Blossoms
Find some hidden gems in Willunga, bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a day out in July BLOSSOM PICNIC MAP or SELF DRIVE MAP

Almond Cookery
Love almonds? Present your best in our Almond Cookery Competition ENTER VIA LINK

Almond Cracking
Enter our Almond Cracking Competition on Sunday 1.00pm at the Almond Hub

Food & Drink
Wood fired pizza, burgers, simple healthy snacks, Asian dishes or ‘carnie’ food plus desserts & drinks

Market Stalls
A wide variety from woollen hats, preserves, jewellery, candles & artisan cards

Live music
Local live musicians, children shows in the big white marquee all weekend

Volunteers welcome
There is lots of variety. Please join us. VOLLIE SIGN UP

blossom maps
Find some hidden gems in and around Willunga. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the day out. Or follow the history of almonds in our region.

ALMOND COOKERY COMPETITION
Love Almonds? Why not enter our cookery competition
Entries in the almond-inspired cookery competition will be on display all weekend in the Almond Hub, where you can also get crafty with free kids’ activities, pick up sugared almonds from local grower Pauline, and chat with almond expert Graeme for tips on growing your own.
SECTIONS
FESTIVAL CAKE ALL AGES 1. Open 2. Juniors |
OPEN 18 YEARS & OLDER 3. Small Almond Cakes 4. Almond Biscuits 5. Almond Novelty |
JUNIORS 12 – 17 YEARS 6. Almond Cake 7. Almond Biscuits 8. Almond Novelty |
LITTLIES 5-11 YEARS 9. Small Almond Cakes 10. Almond Biscuits 11. Almond Novelty |
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RULES ALMOND COOKERY COMPETITION
- One entry per person per section
- Oven baked goods only *except for Novelty
- Almond Cake size 20cm diameter maximum *unless otherwise specified for the Festival Cake section
- Festival cake recipe will be supplied
- Iced or Un-iced allowed
- Supply 4 biscuits for judging
- Supply 4 small cakes for judging
- Exhibits to be on firm white paper/plastic plate/glad wrapped
- Exhibit ticket must be attached to entry on delivery to convenor (supplied)
Almond ingredient variations permitted
* Festival Cake will be judged on adherence to recipe
1. Whole Almonds
2. Crushed/Slivered/Flaked Almonds
3. Almond Essence
4. Almond Meal
Flour variations any grain
Self-Raising Flour
Plain Flour
*Disclaimer: Please be aware all exhibits on display will not be refrigerated. It will be the individual’s responsibility if consumed
*Judging: No discussions will be entered into if exhibitors wish to question the Judge’s decisions
Certificates awarded to 1st 2nd & 3rd place
2025 FESTIVAL CAKE RECIPE BY ANDREA BALL
By Andrea Ball of The Green Gourmet
This cake is made beautifully moist and fragrant thanks to the South Australian extra virgin olive oil which replaces the usual butter. Choose a fruity, late-harvest olive oil (we used Nangkita), and be sure to measure your oil in grams on a scale, which isn’t the same quantity as mls in a cup!
What you’ll need
150g blanched almond meal
100g unbleached plain flour
50g poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
200g full cream natural Greek yoghurt
60ml fresh orange juice
125g raw caster sugar
Grated zest of 1½ oranges
3 extra-large pasture-raised eggs
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence
125g Australian extra virgin olive oil (see note at top of recipe)
Topping
25g demerara sugar
Grated zest of 1½ oranges
Pinch of flaky salt
50g slivered almonds
What to do
Preheat your oven to 180°C (not fan-forced). Grease the base and sides of a 22cm round springform cake pan with a little olive oil and line the base with compostable baking paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt until everything is evenly distributed.
In a small bowl or measuring jug, stir together the yoghurt and orange juice
Place the sugar and orange zest in a separate large bowl and rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is damp and fragrant, then crack in the eggs and add the vanilla. Use electric beaters on high speed to whisk the mixture until light and creamy – a couple of minutes.
Turn the mixer speed down to medium and gradually drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is voluminous, like mayonnaise!
Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add half the yoghurt and orange juice and mix on low speed. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture, finishing with the second half of the yoghurt and orange juice.
Spoon into your lined cake pan and smooth the top of the cake with a spatula.
For the topping, place the demerara sugar and orange zest in a small bowl and rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is damp and fragrant. Add the pinch of flaky salt and slivered almonds, stir, and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake.
Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 170°C and cook for another 15 minutes (a total of 35 minutes) until light golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Place the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour, before turning out. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Serve while still slightly warm or at room temperature with a spoonful of crème fraiche on the side.
festival cake recipes cards
MARKET stallS
Discover a whole new world of creativity, stumble upon something new at every turn .....
One of the much-loved aspects of the Willunga Almond Blossom Festival each year is our market stalls
A variety of market stalls are located in the Festival Hall & around the oval over our family fair weekend. With a diverse range of displays including handmade woollen products, cards, candles, jewellery. Clothing including beanies & scarves to complement your winter wardrobe. Plus cakes, preserves, biscuits, plants and much more.
Market Stall sites are INVITATION ONLY
Email our Market Stallholder Coordinator for further information or queries: [email protected]

about our blossom region
Blossom Time
Almond trees are the first to flower in consideration with the other trees of the soft fruit varieties but the last to mature and be harvested. Blossoms started to appear in the coldest months late July & August.
Harvest Time
During the warmer months of February and March is harvest time or commonly known as’ knocking time’. Until recent years the method used was to knock the base of the boughs with a rubber waddy and the almonds would fall through onto a hessian sheet spread on the ground. The odd remaining almond on the tree was knocked off by using a long wooded pole. After completion the hessian was pulled into a long trailer called an almond boat or shovelled into bags. Now modernised ‘knocking’ is done with a hydraulic tree shaker which clamps to the tree base and vibrates. A mobile sweeper then forms rows of almonds on the ground for collection.
Almond Cracking in Willunga
Mr. G Max Herriot of Willunga invented and patented an almond cracking machine in 1942. His cracking machine was made locally and sold to almond orchardists world wide. The cracker consists of revolving discs with stuyds which the almonds pass through in turn cracking the shell.
History of Willunga Almond Blossom Festival
The festival has been the Willunga Recreation Park’s major fundraising event since 1969, when a local committee decided to raise money to build the Festival Hall. Today, proceeds from the festival continue to fund the maintenance and the continual upgrading of our park facilities. This week long event continues to be influenced, managed and powered by the generous donations of time, knowledge and dedication of volunteers within the Willunga community.
History of Willunga Recreation Park
The Willunga Recreation Park is “home” for many sporting clubs, markets, service and social organisations. These include the Willunga Football, Netball, Tennis, Cricket, Basketball and Table Tennis sporting clubs, the Willunga Quarry, Green Light and Artisan markets, Willunga Girl Guides, Meals on Wheels, Willunga RSL and CWA and Cinemallunga.
Part of the land is leased to Willunga CFS and the park is designated as an emergency centre when the need arises, as was recently the case with the fires in the Willunga Hills. It also provides sporting and Festival Hall facilities for the Willunga Primary School.
The idea for such a park in Willunga was conceived in 1855 when the first Willunga Show was held on the land later earmarked for the Recreation Park. In 1875 a meeting of residents determined that a public park be provided for the use of local residents and, in January 1876, eight (8) acres of land was purchased for the sum of 96 pounds ($192). This land eventually became known as Willunga Recreation Park.
In 1876 the oval was established and the Show Hall was built for 360 pounds ($720), followed by the oval pavilion in 1903. The Almond Blossom Festival began in 1969, with the aim of raising funds to build the Festival Hall [basketball stadium], which was opened in 1979.
Willunga Recreation Park has maintained its status as a multi-purpose park for the use of the residents of Willunga. Its management is the responsibility of the Willunga Recreation Park Incorporated (WRPI) volunteer committee on behalf of the community.
faq
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- TICKETS: online or cash/card @gate
- COSTS: Family $25 / Single $10 / Student & Concession $5 / Children < 5 free
- OPEN: Saturday 11am-9pm Fireworks 7pm Sunday 10am-4pm
- FOOD: Carnival food, burgers, hot dogs, nachos, pizzas, Asian creations and icecream, vegan and gluten free options too
- DRINKS: Beer, wine, soft drinks are available for purchase, plus water on tap
- Entertainment: Show rides, side show, live music, camel & pony rides, circus performers, science show, roving performers, craft activities, target golf and more.
- Variety of market stalls
- Licenced event: Security check ID
- This is a Non-Smoking venue
- No BYO options
- No dogs allowed: Service Dogs exempt
- Car parking is on the street
- Public Transport: bus stop right out front on Main Road Willunga.
- Information via Adelaide Metro options are catch the train to Seaford and bus to Willunga Stop 97. Seaford bus #751 Adelaide Metro Routes/751 Seaford bus #751W & Aldinga Bus #755 & Port Willunga Bus #756
OUR SPONSORS // THANK YOU


Fundraising For your Future
Community owned and Community Managed Willunga Recreation Park
our events
Willunga Almond Blossom Festival
Chilli Fest Willunga
Jigsaw Willunga
Willunga Quarry Market
connect with us
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Kaurna people, the traditional custodians whose ancestral lands we gather on