willunga recreation park

WILLUNGA ALMOND BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

27-28 July 2024

Saturday 11am – 9pm  & Sunday 10am – 4pm

      

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

willunga-almond-blossom-donuts

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

Stay for the weekend

The Fleurieu Peninsula is chock full of wineries, eateries, galleries, gift shops, parks and beaches to explore …  STAY

FAQ

Lots going on this weekend and here are some of the frequently asked questions BELOW

Caterers

Catering is invitation only. Please email Heather if you would are interested in our festival. EMAIL US

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 near the CWA rooms, where the Willunga Evening Branch ladies will be selling their crowd favourite tea and scones, plus their very successful cheese toasties for the kids all weekend.

SECTIONS
FESTIVAL CAKE
ALL AGES
1. Womens
2. Mens
3. Juniors
SENIORS
17 YEARS & OLDER
4. Small Almond Cakes
5. Almond Biscuits
6. Almond Bread
7. Almond Novelty
JUNIORS
12 – 16 YEARS
8. Almond Cake
9. Almond Biscuits
10. Almond Bread
11. Almond Novelty
LITTLE ONES
5-11 YEARS
11. Small Almond Cakes
12. Almond Biscuits
13. Almond Bread
14.  Almond Novelty
  ENTER VIA LINK

 

RULES ALMOND COOKERY COMPETITION

One entry per person per section
Open to non-professional cooks & Artisans (professionals)
Oven baked goods only *except for Novelty
Cake size 20cm diameter maximum
Festival cake recipe will be supplied
Iced or Un-iced allowed
Supply 4 biscuits for judging
Supply 4 small cakes for judging (section #11)
Exhibits to be on firm white paper/plastic plate/glad wrapped
Exhibit ticket must be attached to entry

Delivery time: Friday 28  July 8am-10.30am
Pick up of goods Sunday 30 July 4.30-5pm

Almond ingredient variations permitted
Whole Almonds
Crushed Almonds
Almond Essence
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

Festival cake recipe 2023 by Charlie Lawrence

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup almond meal
150g butter
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¾ cup caster sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup desiccated coconut
1 ½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup flaked almonds
(to top before cooking)

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 180″c or 160″c (fan forced).
Place butter into a bowl and melt in the microwave allow to cool back to room temp before using.

Whisk in your eggs. Vanilla and sugar until combined well. Whisk in your almond meal (if your using whole almonds you will need to blitz then into a fine powder/ crumb first. Don’t over mix or they will turn into an almond butter) followed by the coconut, baking powder, salt and lemon zest and mix until combined.

Pour it into a 20cm/8″ lined round cake pan.

DO NOT skip lining the pan Even greasing very generously is not
enough to stop it from sticking to the pan.
Sprinkle the surface with almonds then bake for 40
minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Once cooled allowed to cool for minimum 1 hour before removing from tin. I like to leave mine in the tin overnight and place a clean tea towel on the top and remove from the tin in the morning.

NOTES
Willunga almonds work fantastic in this recipe. Just grind your almonds
down until they reach a fine crumb consistency. Make sure all your
ingredients including butter and eggs are at room temperature before using.

festival cake recipes from 2019-2022

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
  1. TICKETS: online option
  2. EFTPOS will be available at the gate for ticket purchase
  3. COSTS: Family $25 / Single $10 / Student & Concession $5 / Children < 5 free
  4. OPEN: Saturday 11am-9pm Sunday 10am-4pm
  5. FOOD: Carnival food, burgers, hot dogs, nachos, pizzas, Asian creations and icecream, vegan and gluten free options too
  6. DRINKS: Beer, wine, cider, soft drinks are available for purchase, plus water on tap
  7. Entertainment: Show rides, side show, live music, camel & pony rides, circus performers, science show, roving performers, craft activities, reptiles display, target golf and mini golf.
  8. Variety of market stalls
  9. Licenced event: Security check ID
  10. This is a Non-Smoking venue
  11. No BYO options
  12. No dogs allowed: Service Dogs exempt
  13. Car parking is on the street
  14. Public Transport: bus stop right out front on Main Road Willunga.
  15. 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

contact us

5-7 Main Road Willunga South Australia
e: [email protected]

Willunga Recreation Park

Fundraising For your Future

Community owned and Community Managed   Willunga Recreation Park

our events

Willunga Almond Blossom Festival

Fleurieu Beer Festival

Chilli Fest Willunga

Jigsaw Willunga

connect with us 

contact us

5 Main Road, Willunga, SA, 5172

We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Kaurna people, the traditional custodians whose ancestral lands we gather on