welcome to The Clare Valley Festival of the Lamb

The annual spring festival

The Clare Valley Festival of the Lamb 18-22 September 2024 is the Clare Valleys annual spring equinox festival that combines the first buds of the vines and the premier time for new-season lamb that is lean, tender and ideal for a wide range of recipes.

In keeping with the global culinary influences from previous festivals 2024 has a focus on the significant influences Italy has made to food and wine.

International and National award winning local and visiting chefs are working with lamb producers and local wineries to develop the menus for this year’s festival. Along with the recognised wine varieties of the Clare Valley there are several wineries that are becoming known for delicious Italian wine varieties, particularly Novello, Fiano, Pinot Grigio, Montepulciano and Sangiovese. These are proven to be a great accompaniment to food, particularly seafood, pasta and lamb.

Festival Launch

Wed September 18 | 6 pm | Mintaro Institute

Festival Launch and Dinner with keynote speaker Katherine (Kaito) Maitland Marketing Manager Pangkarra Pasta. Dinner will featuring local produce with lamb from Martindale Farm and Pangkarra Pasta. Guest Chefs will prepare a dinner to be matched with hand crafted, estate grown wines Reilly’s Italian varieties of wines.

Greg Cooley Wines Poetry, Tenor and Dinner

Thu 19 September | 6.30pm | Mintaro Institute

The Mintaro Institute has been the centre of the town's social and cultural activity ever since the foundation stone was laid on 4 February 1878. The Mintaro and Poetry, Music and Community Dinner has been an annual feature of the Festival and this year Greg Cooley from Greg Cooley Wines is curating a wine list of some of Clare favourite Italian varieties.

Wool Fashion Design and Student Art Awards and Exhibition Launch

THUR 19th 1PM AUBURN INSTITUTE - Free Entry

Auburn - Institute – 1pm Fashion Design and Student Art Awards and Exhibition Launch and afternoon tea. This year’s festival includes the inaugural Clare Valley Festival of the Lamb Wool Fashion Design Awards and Exhibition features TAFE SA 2nd year Advanced Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Technology students and the Clare High School Student Art Awards and Exhibition.

Italian Long Table Feast Ragu & Co and Wendouree Wines

SAT 21 Sept 6.30PM

Clare – Ragu & Co – Dinner 6.30pm Ragu & Co and Wendouree Wines Italian Long table Feast. Set in the Clare Valleys Italian Restaurant Rag & Co this meticulously crafted four course dinner will feature traditional Italian lamb inspired dishes matched with Wendouree Wines.

European Lamb Event

Sun 22 September | 11am-3pm | Penwortham

The UPPside Restaurant & Wine Bar once off speciality European Lamb Event featuring live music performed by Lilli Maeve.

Spring Equinox Penobscot Farm Tour and Degustation Lunch

Sun 22 September | 11am onwards | Watervale

This special event as part of the 2024 Festival of the Lamb will have guests meet at Penobscot Farm at 11am for an educational and interactive tour. They will discuss history, climate, permaculture design, organic and bio-dynamic farming as well as Ngadjuri land management.

18-22 September 2024

Viva Italia!

This includes the inaugural Clare Valley Festival of the Lamb Wool Fashion Design Awards and Exhibition to feature woollen fashion designs by TAFE SA 2nd year Advanced Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Technology students. The judging panel will include the Consul of Italy in South Australia Ernesto Pianelli.

The Arts Collective Clare Valley will be hosting Art of the Lamb at the Clare Art House which will include work by local artists and a travelling display from the Australian Tapestry Group.

Thursday night’s Community Dinner has been an annual feature of the festival and this year Greg Cooley is curating a wine list from some of the Clare Valley Italian varieties. The night will take on further an Italian theme with Tenor Andrew Pryor a former long-standing member of the Ten Tenors performing.

The festival will bring various forms of arts, creativity and culture to help showcase and tell the story of the importance that the sheep industry has for the Valley.

Check out the program and book early so you don’t miss out on enjoying the Clare Valley when it’s at its finest.

Ciao

Media Release – June 2024

Media Release – Festival Program – July 2024

Media Release Fashion – Art – Music