Thousands enjoy the Campsie Food Festival

2009 marked the 11^th year that we've celebrated the Campsie Food Festival and it really is getting bigger and better every year, with a crowd of over 15,000 food lovers joining in the fun on the day!

Campsie was overflowing with visitors from all over Sydney, treating themselves to an array of flavours from around the world.

Saturday's Festival has made me even prouder of our City. People from all parts of Sydney made their way to Campsie to sample the cultural harmony we've achieved in our community.

More than 60 stalls lined Beamish Street dishing out exotic food from countries like France, Hungary and Portugal as well as some traditional favourites from Japan, Thailand and Turkey.

The range of foods on display is a true reflection of the multiculturalism we live with here in the City of Canterbury everyday.

A definite favourite with the crowd were the live cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs Fast Ed from Better Homes and Gardens and Luke Nguyen from the award winning Red Lantern Restaurant in Surry Hills.

Students from All Saints Grammar almost upstaged our celebrity chefs as part of the 'Kids in the Kitchen' segment, as they showed us how easy it is to cook healthy food.

There were also some fantastic cultural performances entertaining the crowds all afternoon from our Columbian Folk Dancers to the Festival favourites the colourful Sydney Korean Seniors Dance Group.

There were was really something for everyone with rides for children and the kids cooking corner giving children an opportunity to get their hands dirty.

I'd like to thank all the sponsors, stallholders, volunteers and staff of Council who worked so hard to make the 2009 Campsie Food Festival such a great success. Many has said that they can't wait until next year's Festival.

The 2009 Campsie Food Festival was proudly sponsored by Canterbury Bankstown Express, Oasis Hotel Campsie, Miele Australia, Lebara Mobile, Commonwealth Bank, Campsie RSL, Canterbury Bulldogs League Club, Aussie Home Loans Campsie, Oriental Merchant, Ayam and Franklins.

Campsie Food Festival Event History (1999 - 2008)

2008 marks the 10^th Anniversary of the Campsie Food Festival, an event now widely recognised as a major food event both in the City of Canterbury and the greater Sydney region.

The event was founded in 1999 as part of Tourism NSW's Feast of Sydney Food and Wine Festival. Then named 'Campsie - The Seoul of Sydney' Korean Food & Cultural Festival, the event highlighted Korean dining in our City.

City of Canterbury Council, Campsie Chamber of Commerce and the Campsie Korean Business Association, joined together to promote Korean restaurant dining.

By its third year, the Campsie Korean Food Festival had been featured in Tourism NSW's previous Feast of Sydney Food and Wine Festival. Attendance figures were increasing over the 15,000 mark.

In 2002 World Cup fever brought the event to a dramatic finale with a live broadcast of the Soccer World Cup Quarter Final between South Korea and Spain, televised on a giant 4 metre screen courtesy of Samsung Electronics and SBS Radio.

In 2003 we introduced cheese and wine tasting in Anzac Mall. The event was extended to include a Friday evening segment with delegates from our Korean Sister City Eunpyeong-gu. The festival reached new heights with an estimated 25,000 visitors descending on Campsie town centre.

For the first time, a number of boutique wineries from the Hunter Valley brought their wines to the festival for locals to sample and to celebrate our new friendship with Cessnock.

2004 saw our festival name change to the Campsie Food Festival to celebrate our diverse community in the City of Canterbury and unite all cultures as one. The event continues to showcase the wonderful flavours of the world, specifically exotic foods from our local Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese communities as well as highlighting their beautiful culture and traditions.

Since 2005 the event has introduced celebrity chef segments including renowned chef Geoff Jansz and Elizabeth Chong.

2007 marked our first School Cooking competition with a grand final between two local schools judged by Elizabeth Chong and our Mayor.

Throughout the years we have seen incredible multicultural performances from Korean Drumming, Fan Dancing, Korean Sword Dance, Martial Art of Fencing and the performance of the Traditional Korean Wedding Ceremony, Korean Opera Song, the Love Song Dance and the mastery of the Korean Fan Dance.

2008 marks the very special anniversary of 10 years of food festivities and 20 years of our Korean Sister City relationship with Eunpyeong-gu. The event will run from 10am to 9pm. The extended program will include a Korean short film festival, and an evening market place selling sumptuous foods and local specialties.

We expect in the region of 30,000 people to visit Campsie on Saturday 17 May 2008 to celebrate our special Anniversary.

Event Program 2008

The Campsie Food Festival is promoted as the Seoul of Sydney, the main street is transformed into a thriving marketplace, full of life and vitality as our vibrant town centre comes alive. The festival attracts over 25,000 people to taste the great variety of cuisine on display, view great entertainment, over 60 different stalls and free amusement rides for children all day long.

With the 2008 event extending well into the evening we have planned a Korean short film festival alongside evening markets and atmospheric lighting and shows. The evening will culminate with a spectacular fireworks display celebrating 10 successful years of food, fun and friendship in the City of Canterbury.

The eventhas been developed to become an international food festival incorporating all the multicultural cuisines of the City of Canterbury and the surrounding suburbs.

Elizabeth Chong at the CCF The event traditionally begins with a thrilling Lion Dance performance followed by the mighty cook off of over 60 bustling food stalls. The amazing scents, colors and flavors transform Campsie Town Centre into a food lover's haven for the afternoon.

One of the highlights of the 2007 event was the mesmerizing cooking demonstrations from well known Australian celebrity chef Elizabeth Chong. This year we have invited some talented Korean chefs to appear alongside our celebrity chef, soon to be announced.

Pictured right: Celebrity chefs Geoff Jansz (top) and Elizabeth Chong (bottom) have been part of the Campsie Food Festival in the past.

Objectives of the event

The objectives of the Campsie Food Festival are:

To provide the local and wider community with a quality festival celebrating the diverse community of Campsie.
To assist in the revitalisation and promotion of Campsie Business Centre and its diverse local dining and specialty shopping.
To help create awareness of this vibrant community among other Sydney-siders and attract visitors to the City of Canterbury.

Sponsorship

The Campsie Food Festival is known to attract upwards of 25,000 visitors. For potential sponsors, this provides direct access to a target audience with strong representation from local cultural communities, namely Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese. Other key communities represented include, Greek, Lebanese, Islander and African.

There are many promotional activities planned for the 2008 Campsie Food Festival. A major publicity campaign launched by Council's media team ensures our sponsors get maximum coverage through a variety of media.

The Campsie Food Festival receives wide promotion leading up to and on the event day. This includes local, ethnic and metropolitan papers, radio, posters and flyers, and banners placed strategically throughout the community plus direct mail to 55,000 households in the City of Canterbury.

For further information on the event or to receive a sponsorship pack please contact the events team on 9789 9327 or 9789 9475.

Thousands enjoy the Campsie Food Festival

Campsie Food Festival Event History (1999 - 2008)

Event Program 2008

Objectives of the event

Sponsorship

Past sponsors of this renowned event include: