The Clare Valley is gearing up for five days of long lunches, cooking demonstrations, exhibitions, markets and farm-to-table dining as the Festival of the Lamb returns this September.
Running from Wednesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 27, the annual spring festival will spread across towns throughout the region, bringing together local farmers, chefs, winemakers, artists and producers.
Now in its seventh year, the Clare Valley Festival of the Lamb is timed around the spring equinox, when the first buds begin appearing on the vines and new-season lamb is at its prime.
Food sits at the centre of the program, but the festival goes well beyond what is on the plate, with events exploring farming, wool, fashion, art and the people behind the region’s produce.
A key part of the festival’s approach is encouraging participating chefs and venues to work with whole lambs sourced directly from farmers, with butchers and producers involved in helping make use of as much of the animal as possible.
Across the five days, visitors can choose from intimate dinners and degustations through to free community events and demonstrations.
In Watervale, the Watervale Hotel will host a lamb cooking demonstration with Snail of Approval chef Nicola Palmer and Slow Food SA president Rosa Matto, exploring different cuts and cooking techniques.
Mintaro will host several events across the festival, including a free community dinner, the Merinos Magic Lantern Show and degustation lunches at Reillys Wines, while the historic town will also welcome makers, designers and creatives for the Mintaro Show and Fibre Fair.
Fashion will also feature through the From Farm to Fashion exhibition, showcasing work by Flinders University and TAFE SA students alongside an international porcelain art exhibition.
Elsewhere across the region, venues in Penwortham, Sevenhill, Clare, Auburn and Polish Hill River will host special menus, dinners and long lunches celebrating locally produced lamb.
Sunday’s program includes the Fire & Feast Long Lunch in Auburn, while Jeanerette Wines at Sevenhill will serve lamb from the spit alongside lamb pizzas for a relaxed afternoon event.
The festival also includes the Clare Valley Festival of the Lamb Art Prize exhibition, which runs throughout the event at Arts Collective Clare Valley Art Gallery.
With events ranging from free exhibitions and community gatherings to ticketed lunches and dinners, visitors can build their own itinerary across the five-day festival.
Clare Valley Festival of the Lamb
When: Wednesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 27, 2026
Where: Various locations across the Clare Valley
For more, click here.
