This has been a great year so far for the Canberra region. New restaurants have been opening around the capital, festivals of all sorts pop up monthly and we are awash in some excellent wines made right on our doorstep. All these reasons add up to a couple of months of fun Canberra experiences.

This year there has been plenty of opportunity to celebrate in the capital. Whatever the season we hoist the stall marquees, set up the Bain maries and fill the streets with music and the smell of cooking. This year at the Multicultural Festival was the year for ‘chip on a stick’ and ‘ice cream in a pineapple’. Not only were there pineapples for eating, there was a giant blow up pineapple in Petrie Plaza and even the Queen of pineapples with her big yellow dress, fruit headdress and a wand. This was one unique experience and so early on in the year.

It has also been the year that I discovered the taste of a sweet potato and pulled pork Chanchita with colourful magic sauce. Mr. Papa’s is the Peruvian food truck that has found a home in the hamlet. Braddon has been blowing up in the last few months and the hamlet is like our own village square filled with food trucks and picnic tables. It was a good day for food, in a daring mix of Mr. Papa’s and April’s caravan my mouth was amazed by the lemon meringue pie milkshake, with little meringues dropped in like marshmallows. In one meal The Hamlet became my favourite picnic spot.

My best experience with wine this year was on a Friday evening in February at a hotel in Kingston. The Meet the Locals at the East Hotel series brought several wineries together to show off their best. No tasting would be complete without cheese, some tangy and some creamy, each elevating the right wine to the next level of deliciousness. These were the best wines I have had so far this year, increasing my palate and increasing my knowledge with each conversation with the wine makers themselves. I was delighted by the approachable way in which I could learn about and taste the spoils of our own regions wineries.

Truthfully my best experiences in the capital this year have all involved food and drink but they have all taken place in a fun atmosphere of businesses coming together to create some magical moments in our city. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

What are some of your favourite Canberra experiences so far?

Image: Bruce Hood