The Mulberry Tree Festival
November 12, 2022
INFO FROM PREVIOUS FESTIVAL November 2018.
Think mulberry desserts and drinks (mulberry ice-cream milkshakes, mulberry gin and mulberry champagne cocktails) a range of fun and exciting competitions to enter before the event, live music, silk worms, local food stalls, mulberry trees for planting and story-telling under the Ballara Mulberry Tree will create a magical experience for young children... and old.
Ballara’s expansive and beautiful garden (Mrs Baker’s Backyard) overlooks the internationally-acclaimed Flaherty’s Beach and is the ideal location for this new, family-friendly festival. If you’re not a fan of the mulberry, it’s still worth coming along for the live music, delicious food stalls, art and glorious view.
The Mulberry Tree Festival is inspired by the fact that Yorke Peninsula is home to hundreds of gnarled, old mulberry trees and it celebrates the endless childhood memories that this humble tree provides. It also shines a light on the beauty of the tree in November – a month or so before her green berries become ripe... before the ‘artistic’ mess of red and purple stains!
The family-friendly festival invites local schools and community members to take part in a number of creative endeavours, utilising the humble mulberry - you can enter the junior and senior mulberry cooking competition; the main rule is... your submission must include mulberries - frozen berries or jam is fine.
School students and artists will submit artwork with a mulberry theme. Examples may include carvings or sculptures made from mulberry wood, juice art on white canvas, clay sculptures of a mulberry, photographs, drawings or paintings of berries, trees or children making an epic mess... ideas are endless.
We can not wait to hold this festival, an opportunity where our community and visitors can come together, get creative and enjoy a fun day at Ballara Art & Lifestyle Retreat.
A few of the fantastic local businesses and artists who had stalls or products in 2018 include:
Live music from Harana Blue and Cookie Baker
Winnie Fox Art and her story-telling extravaganzas
Watsacowie Brewing Co.
Barley Stacks Wines (including sparkling mulberry cocktails)
MBC Foods' famous S&P prawn and chicken skewers, as well as mulberry icecream
Nourish on Yorkes' mulberry leaf dolmades and a range of other delicious snacks & local produce
Rustic Tarts' delicious bite-size desserts and fairy floss for the kids (and the big kids!)
Rosevale Lentils' refreshing lentil salad
Warooka Progress Association's pulled pork & slaw burgers, soft drinks & popcorn
Everything Silkworms' tiger silkworms
Ballara Art & Lifestyle Retreat's mulberry tree cuttings and succulents
Barista coffee by Holly
Baker Bros. Gallery items
Yurara Mulberry Leaf Tea & KIS Mulberry Gin tasters
Rene's Kitchen jams & preserves
Feral Fibre basket art by June Faulkner
Fine Art Crystals
Face Painting
To keep up to date with the progress of The Mulberry Tree Festival @ Ballara, please follow @ballara.retreat on Instagram and Facebook.
CONTACT:
Jasmine 0417 439 702
Lianne 0404 847 684
email ballararetreat@gmail.com
