So maybe it is time we packaged it properly.
One idea that could work brilliantly for Mildura and the wider region is an annual Eat & Drink Local Sunraysia campaign — not just a one-day food festival, but a full month of local food, local drinks, farm gates, cafés, pubs, wineries, breweries, markets, riverfront dining and small-town road trips.
And the best part? We would not need to invent the story from scratch.
It is already here.
We have citrus, grapes, almonds, olives, dried fruit, wine, beer, bakeries, pubs, restaurants, food vans, roadside stalls, farm gates and markets. Add in the Murray and Darling Rivers, paddle steamers, warm days and cool evenings, and you have the bones of something pretty special.
The trick is tying it all together.
More Than Just a Food Festival
A lot of towns run food festivals, and some are fantastic. But Sunraysia could do something a little different.
Instead of putting all the pressure on one weekend, an Eat & Drink Local Sunraysia campaign could run across an entire month.
That would give locals and visitors time to move around the region, try different venues, book a farm tour, visit a winery, have lunch by the river, discover a country pub, grab something from a bakery, or follow a produce trail through smaller towns.
It would also give local businesses a chance to take part without needing to set up at one big festival site.
A café could run a local breakfast special.
A bakery could create a citrus tart.
A winery could host a long lunch.
A pub could do a prime Mallee lamb night.
A brewery could release a local-inspired beer.
A paddle steamer could run a local produce cruise.
A grower could open the gate for a morning tour.
Nothing too complicated. Just local businesses doing what they already do well, but under one strong regional campaign.
Grown Here, Made Here, Poured Here
A campaign like this could celebrate the whole food chain.
People drive past our orchards, vineyards and packing sheds every day, but many visitors would have no idea how much of the food they eat has a connection to this region.
That is where Sunraysia has a real tourism opportunity.
Imagine citrus grove walks, vineyard tours, dried fruit history sessions, olive oil tastings, almond orchard visits, local produce boxes, cooking demonstrations and “meet the grower” events.
Not everyone wants a flashy event with a stage and fireworks. Plenty of visitors would be just as happy walking through an orchard, tasting something fresh, meeting the person who grew it, then heading off to a riverfront lunch.
That is the sort of experience people remember.
The River Should Be Part of It
Any Sunraysia food and drink campaign should lean heavily into the river.
We are lucky here. Food and wine regions are everywhere, but not all of them have the Murray and Darling Rivers running through the story.
An Eat & Drink Local campaign could include paddle steamer lunches, sunset food cruises, riverfront picnics, long lunches under the red gums, outdoor night markets and relaxed drinks by the water.
Picture a long table under the river gums, local produce on the plate, local wine in the glass, and the Murray rolling past in the background.
That is not a hard sell.
It Should Not Just Be About Mildura
For this to really work, it should be a Sunraysia-wide campaign.
Mildura would obviously play a big role, with restaurants, cafés, riverfront spaces, wineries, breweries and accommodation.
But the wider region has plenty to offer too.
Red Cliffs could lean into dried fruit history, Big Lizzie, local bakeries, growers and markets.
Merbein has river views, lookouts, the pub, the club, old irrigation stories and a strong wine and dried fruit history.
Wentworth has the Murray-Darling Junction, paddle boats, pubs, riverfront spaces and heritage.
Robinvale and Euston bring food, farming, culture and the river.
Ouyen and the Mallee towns could add pubs, grain country, silo art, road trips and proper country hospitality.
That is where this idea becomes bigger than a Mildura event. It becomes a reason to explore.
Four Weekends, Four Themes
One way to structure it would be to give each weekend a focus.
The first weekend could be a launch event — maybe a street feast or riverfront market featuring local food, wine, beer, music and produce.
The second weekend could focus on growers and farm gates, with orchard tours, vineyard walks, packing shed visits and behind-the-scenes experiences.
The third weekend could be all about local drinks — wineries, breweries, distilleries, cellar doors and sunset sessions.
The final weekend could finish with a river, food and fire theme, with food vans, fire pits, music, local drinks, paddle steamer meals and family-friendly night markets.
That sort of structure gives the campaign a bit of shape, instead of just being a random list of events.
A Trail People Can Follow
A simple digital map would be a big part of it.
Visitors could follow an Eat & Drink Local trail showing participating cafés, restaurants, wineries, breweries, pubs, farm gates, food vans, markets, bakeries, accommodation and suggested day trips.
QR codes could go in visitor centres, caravan parks, motel receptions, cafés and participating businesses.
A printed map would also be handy, especially for visitors who still like something they can fold up, scribble on and keep in the glovebox.
The campaign could also include a “local dish of the month” competition, a people’s choice award, producer profiles, short videos, social media challenges and weekend itineraries.
Why It Could Work
The strongest regional events usually have a simple hook.
Parkes has Elvis.
Deniliquin has utes.
Grafton has jacarandas.
Orange has food and wine.
Sunraysia has food, drink, growers, river life and open-road touring.
We just need to package it in a way people can understand quickly.
Eat local. Drink local. Explore local.
That is easy to sell.
It supports hospitality, tourism, growers, makers, accommodation providers and smaller towns. It gives locals a reason to try somewhere new. It gives visitors a reason to stay longer. And it gives the region another annual event that is actually connected to who we are.
A Campaign Worth Considering
This is the sort of idea that could start small.
A handful of restaurants.
A few farm tours.
A winery lunch.
A brewery event.
A paddle steamer cruise.
A street market.
A produce trail.
A few country pubs getting involved.
Then build it year by year.
Done properly, Eat & Drink Local Sunraysia could become more than a campaign. It could become a yearly celebration of the region’s food bowl identity — from the Murray to the Mallee, from the farm gate to the table, and from the glass in your hand to the grower behind it.
And really, if a region like ours cannot sell food, drink, river views and country hospitality, we might be making things harder than they need to be.