The Festival of Snags in Mudgee

Wotif has announced Mudgee, NSW as the home of Australia's newest and arguably most delicious festival, the Festival of Snags. Ending a two-month search that captured the hearts, minds and stomachs of the nation, the festival, as part of Wotif's Festival of Wot? initiative, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 30 November 2019.

Following a high-heat vote, the NSW Central West town beat Queensland's Festival of Mangoes in Bowen and Festival of Redheads in Maryborough, along with South Australia's Festival of Wheat, Wool & Wine in Clare Valley. These four destinations rallied the nation, proving the true Aussie spirit of celebrating the unique and wonderful attributes of our local communities and regions.

Wotif Managing Director Daniel Finch congratulated Mudgee on their victory, saying: "Not only are we excited to create a quirky and quintessentially Aussie festival, but we're thrilled to be able to deliver something meaningful for the Mudgee community, that we hope will provide a boost to the local economy and tourism industry amidst a drought-affected regional area."

"It has been remarkable to see such widespread participation from Aussies far and wide during the short-listing and voting stages. The humble snag has become for many the most hallowed of Australian foods, so it comes as no surprise that the country embraced Mudgee and its fun festival concept. The ideas submitted by Maryborough, Bowen and Clare Valley were exceptional and spoke to the heart of what makes up these communities. While there can only be one winner, we'd like to thank each and every individual who nominated, voted and campaigned for the Festival of Wot?"

Based on the insight that most Aussies have visited fewer than 1% of towns within Australia and that 40% of Australians travel specifically for events and festivals*, the Festival of Snags, after being voted on by the country, aims to encourage Aussies to explore and discover the unique characters, places and quirks that make up this great country.

Now, Mudgee is set to sizzle as Wotif and the Mid-Western Regional Council create Australia's inaugural Festival of Snags. Bringing together local business owners, community groups and tourists from across the country, the one-day event will celebrate the beloved snag and the very best of Mudgee. In addition to a tong-turning selection of sausages in Australia's own 'Meatpacker District', Mudgee's renowned local wine, produce and gourmet delicacies will take centre stage.

For the true snag aficionado, the 'Game of Snags' will be the ultimate searing. Battle it out to be crowned Queen or King of Snags as you complete in a series of high-stakes challenges including gladiator snag battles, tossing and giant inflatable sausage races. There will also be hours of family fun for the little ones. Whatever you fancy, the Festival of Snags promises a veritable smorgasbord (or meat tray, if you prefer) of events and fun.

Mayor of Mid-Western Regional Council Des Kennedy said, "We're absolutely delighted to have been announced as the winning town of Wotif's Festival of Wot? and cannot wait to host the Festival of Snags in November."

"Our region is a premier food and wine destination, with some of the best beef producers and butchers in the country who know how to make a good snag. The announcement couldn't come at a better time and will provide our region with a lift as we continue to manage through these tough times of drought. I'd like to thank Wotif for delivering on this fantastic concept to support regional areas and to everyone who lodged their vote. I'd encourage all Australians to head along to Mudgee and experience the Festival of Snags – it's sure to sizzle!"

Daniel Finch continues: "We know from our research that more than half (52%) of Australians have revisited a destination after attending an event or festival*, so with the Festival of Snags coming up in just a few short weeks, now is the perfect time for Aussies from right across the nation to consider a weekend getaway to Mudgee."