General News
13 February, 2026
Harfest set to return next month
HARFEST returns to Warrnambool next month and will once again celebrate the best locally grown talent and artisans.
The Warrnambool Community Garden’s much-loved Harfest is back, taking over the quarry amphitheatre on Saturday, March 14 from 3pm to 7pm with music, laughter, good food and plenty of homegrown fun.
Returning for its second year, Harfest has been described as a joyful celebration of the seasonal harvest in one of Warrnambool’s most unique settings.
The once-abandoned quarry will spring to life with a lively mix of local musicians, DJs, workshops and food vendors, all coming together to raise funds for the garden’s ongoing operations.
Making its debut this year is the inaugural zucchini cart championship, believed to be the first race of its kind in Australia.
Equal parts ridiculous and hilarious, the race invites participants to build miniature carts from vegetables and send them rolling down the track in a contest of speed, style and glory.
Adding to the festivities, scarecrows will appear around the amphitheatre as part of a fashions in the field competition.
Visitors are encouraged to bring or build their own scarecrow creation on the day, adding a colourful touch of whimsy to the space.
This year’s line-up of talent will include Jacob Paton-Lee, a crowd favourite in the ‘Find Your Voice Collective’, up-and-coming folk gypsy jazz quartet, The Hootie Tooties, and all-women punk-pop outfit Lisztomania.
DJ legends The Cheese Brothers, featuring Gus Franklin and Jordan Lockett, will bring the quarry to a joyful crescendo with their high-energy set to close out the day.
Families can dive into hands-on activities and roaming performers, while adults can kick back in the garden bar, serving local beer, wine and botanical cocktails.
Everyone is invited to take along a picnic rug, grab a bite, and soak up the atmosphere while supporting one of Warrnambool’s most loved community spaces.
Garden convenor Courtney Mathew said Harfest was about opening the front gates and inviting people to share in an afternoon of wholesome fun.
“The garden is run by community, for community, and Harfest is our way of celebrating that while raising essential funds,” Ms Mathew said.
“A lot of people still don’t realise this place is here, it feels like a bit of a hidden gem.
“Harfest is our chance to throw the gates open, share it with the wider community and say: come in, have a wander, this space is for everyone.”
Dreams for transforming the old quarry, which makes up a third of the garden’s site, have been part of the vision since the garden’s inception in 2007.
The transformation has already received state and national recognition through the Premier’s Sustainability Awards and Banksia Sustainability Awards, and work on the next stage of the gully area is set to begin later this year.
Tickets are $26 for adults, with free entry for under 18s.
The garden is also calling for volunteers, with free entry offered to helpers who sign up for short shifts on the day.
For more information about the event or Warrnambool Community Garden and how to get involved, visit wcg3280.org.au, call 0493 057 811, or email grow@wcg3280.org.au
