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Eat Drink Play Gippsland festival will be bringing family fun at the Leongatha Rail Precinct on 18 October 2025

Eat Drink Gippsland in Leongatha celebrates regional food, wine, cheese, and music with tastings, family fun, tote bags, wine chats, and producer stories showcasing the region's best.

By news@gippsland - 25th August 2025 - Back to News

Bringing together the very best in food, drinks, cheese, dairy, music, and more, Eat Drink Play Gippsland is your ultimate destination to taste, discover, and enjoy it all. To help you make the most of the DAY SESSION (aka Eat Drink!).

At the EAT DRINK session, guests receive a Gippsland Tote Bag and festival wine cup to enjoy regional food, wine, and cheese

Below are our festival highlights - perfect for planning your adventure. With so much to see and do, be sure to jot down who and where you want to visit first. Who will be top of your list? And if you have any questions along the way, don't forget to visit our FAQ page for all the answers!

Totes Gippsland

Are you a Gippsland Local, Lover, Sipper, or Grazer? When you arrive for the EAT DRINK session (11am - 5pm), we'll take our best guess and hand you a Gippsland Tote Bag to carry loud and proud - perfect to hold all the amazing food, cheese, and wine you'll be tasting (& hopefully purchasing) throughout the day. Oh, and did we mention? You'll also receive your very own festival wine cup on entry - cheers to that!

Discover Gippsland with the free Eat Drink Guide, celebrating Leongatha's best while inspiring future weekend adventures across the entire region

Eat Drink Gippsland guide

There's so much to explore in our incredible region! While we celebrate the best in Leongatha, it's also the perfect time to start planning your next weekend visit - and the one after that - all across Gippsland. The Eat Drink Guide gives you the inside scoop on the who's who of the region, and the best part? It's completely free!

Eat

The rolling green hills of Gippsland grow some of the best produce in the country. And in the hands of the region's top chefs and restaurants, it transforms into something truly next-level delicious. Feeding us on festival day are standout spots like Trulli, Messmates, Hogget, Tinamba Hotel, Sodafish, and Mahob at Moos. Hungry yet? Good, they'll be plenty to satisfy sweet and savoury cravings.

Gippsland's lush hills produce world-class food, transformed by top chefs and restaurants into festival dishes from Trulli, Messmates, Hogget, Tinamba, Sodafish, and Mahob

Drink

From distillers and brewers to cideries, you'll want the perfect pour to wash down all the delicious cheese and dishes on offer. Whether it's local gin, beer, cider, vodka, or whisky, every sip tells a story of Gippsland.

Sip Gippsland's finest gin, beer, cider, vodka, and whisky, each pour perfectly pairing with regional food and cheese

Wine

From the west of the region to the southern coast and the wild east, there's something about Gippsland that stays with you. The wines here are as full of character as the people and places that create them. At the festival, you'll experience over 25 of the region's best wineries and discover why Gippsland wines are celebrated around the world.

Gippsland wines reflect the region's character and diversity, with over 25 top wineries showcased at the festival, celebrated worldwide for quality

Cheese and dairy goodness

We probably don't need to say it, but Gippsland produces some of the best darn milk in the country - and that means some of the best cheese on the planet. But don't just take our word for it, the awards speak for themselves. From Gippsland Jersey's Australia's Best Milk to Prom Country Cheese and then Loch Cheese Merchant representing the best from Berry's Creek, Maffra and Butterfly Factory. Yep. We've got you covered.

Gippsland's award-winning milk and cheese shine globally, with Gippsland Jersey, Prom Country, and Loch Cheese Merchant showcasing exceptional regional dairy excellence

Day play

The daytime session isn't just about food and wine - it's a full-sensory celebration of Gippsland's creative soul. From your first sip to your last bite, an incredible lineup of local musicians and artists will bring the rhythm, charm, and unmistakable energy of the region to the stage.

Get ready to welcome Jungle Jim Smith, Janie Gordon, Ozone Street, Strzelecki Stringbusters, Misty Harlow, and the Invy Horn Jam for a soundtrack you won't forget.

The daytime session blends Gippsland's food, wine, and music, featuring local artists delivering rhythm, energy, and unforgettable performances throughout the festival

Talking wine

Curious about the difference between East, West, and South Gippsland Pinot? Want to meet the makers themselves? We've enlisted the incredible wine writer, storyteller, and proud new Gippsland local, Max Allen, to host a series of in-depth wine chats throughout the day.

Discover East, West, and South Gippsland Pinot differences in engaging wine chats hosted by writer Max Allen, featuring local winemakers' insights

Talking food

We all know Gippsland produce is exceptional - but what about the people behind it? This is your chance to meet them, hear their stories, and understand the passion, grit, and heart that make what they grow so special in these hosted chat sessions throughout the day.

Leongatha Rail Precinct's playground transforms for the day session with face painting, mini golf, and extra entertainment keeping children delighted throughout

Fun for all

If you know the Leongatha Rail Precinct, you already know it's home to an incredible kids' playground. But for the day session, we're cranking up the fun with face painting, mini golf, and even more entertainment to keep the little ones happy all day long.

Discover Gippsland's producers through our series, sharing stories behind food and wine

Producer first

Knowing the story behind what you're tasting makes it all the more special. If you've been following us on socials, you've seen our Producer Series - sharing first-hand stories of who they are, where they work their magic, why they do it, and their own special Gippsland discoveries.

Follow us on the Eat Drink Play Instagram or Facebook to keep the stories coming!

Pictures from Visit Gippsland website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com