Feasting, Finish Lines, Festivals and Penny Farthings - What's on This Summer in Tassie

Like a juicy, low hanging apple, this summer Tasmania is ripe for the picking. Lonely Planet, the authority on all things global travel, has ranked Tasmania as one of the top five best regions to visit, in the whole world. The whole, wide world. Wild and dramatic, cultured and quirky, isolated and accessible, the world is ready to check out the diversity of what Tasmania is offering up, and may even come back for a second bite. Get ready to have a taste for yourself.

Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - 26 December 2014 to 1 January 2015

Renowned as one of the world's most prestigious and difficult sailing competitions, the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race enters its 70th year in 2014. Get up close to all the sensational super-maxis, competitive middle classes and of course, the quirky small boats coming up the rear. The unpredictability makes this race one of the wildest in the world – join in the festivities on the finish line at Hobart's Sullivan's Cove where the sailors roll in to an incredible reception.
www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

The Falls Music & Arts Festival 2014 - 29 December 2014 to 1 January 2015

It's hard to imagine a more picturesque setting for a world-class music festival than Marion Bay, an hour's drive from Hobart. Add to that a stellar lineup that includes The Temper Trap, Vance Joy, Jamie XX, John Butler Trio and Salt 'n' Pepa. The fun kicks off on 29 December and revellers will party on until the wee hours of 1 January. Music goers can grab a tent, pack a picnic and get out there. Or hire a teepee for up to six people to really bliss out.
www.marionbay.fallsfestival.com.au

The Taste of Tasmania - 28 December 2014 to 3 January 2014

The annual Taste of Tasmania festival is on again with 70 of our finest food, wine, beer and cider producers and restauranteurs under one roof on Hobart's waterfront at Princes Wharf No 1 and the adjoining Salamanca and Parliament House Lawns. Join a themed tour ($25pp) with a local food and wine expert, book a seat for the NYE spectacular overlooking the freshly docked Sydney to Hobart yachts or pull up a seat at the Tasting Table ($15-$35pp) to hear from our best winemakers and brewers.
www.thetasteoftasmania.com.au

Cygnet Folk Festival - 9 to 11 January 2015

The small town of Cygnet, an hour from Hobart, hosts their 33rd annual folk festival over three days every January, welcoming local and international musicians and fans to the close-knit village. The Cygnet population - usually 1000 - swells to five times its size during the festival. This year catch award-winning Danish band Afenginn (defined as Bastard-ethno with a melancholic Nordic sigh and a dash of ecstatic madness!) and Celtic folk virtuoso Tim Edey from the UK. Get hands on in folk, ethno, world, roots and acoustic music workshops as well as dance and poetry.
www.cygnetfolkfestival.org

MONA FOMA - 15 to 18 January 2015

MONA FOMA (Museum of Old and New Art, Festival of Music and Art) rolls into Hobart this January, unleashing a four-day carnival of culture. Curated by former Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie, the program spans music, theatre, dance, installation art and parties - in some cases all at once. The MOFO line-ups patch the infamous next to the unheard-of, fostering surprising collaborations that just work. This year's event includes performances by New York post-punk rockers Swans, a floating performance on the Derwent River from Alvin Curran, Brechtian cabaret punk Amanda Palmer with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Dan Deacon with his Baltimore dance beats, indie pop outfit Zammuto (with guest Gotye), and more. Plus the doors of the festival club, Faux Mo, open for the usual Bacchanalian nightclub mayhem.
www.mofo.net.au

MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival - 6 to 9 February 2015

The biennial Australian Wooden Boat Festival sails into Hobart in February for a huge four-day celebration of maritime culture and expert craftsmanship. 500 boats of all shapes, sizes and wood grains are on show in an amazing display of seaside colour and design, and local gourmet food, live music, demonstrations and displays. Catch the opening Parade of Sail which sets the scene for a wonderful weekend on the waterfront.
www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au

Festivale - 13 to 15 February 2015

Since 1988, Launceston's Festivale has transformed historic City Park into a three-day party celebrating regional produce, music, beer, cider, whisky,cool-climate wine and master and cooking classes. Originally a showcase of the city's rich multi-cultural community, the event has grown into a quality gourmet fixture, showcasing Tasmania's finest food and beverage producers. Roving performers and live bands make it a party for the thousands of visitors tasting their way through over 70 stalls. Full program is released end December, 2014.
www.festivale.com.au

National Penny Farthing Championship - 21 February 2015

Antique bike enthusiasts roll into Evandale from around the globe to attend the penny farthing race day each February - the most competitive Penny Farthing event in the world. The historical main street is the perfect circuit for the tweed-garbed competitors atop their brakeless, 1.5-metre-high bicycles. It's as dangerous as it is competitive, culminating in the break-neck National Penny Farthing Championship race. Away from the track check out the Evandale Village Fair, enjoy the Penny Farthing Food Fest in Pioneer Park or enjoy a traditional pub meal in the leafy beer garden of the Clarendon Arms Hotel.
www.evandalevillagefair.com

For a full and up-to-date listing of Tasmanian events, and information on travelling to Tasmania, visit the Discover Tasmania website www.discovertasmania.com.au.