About the Cairns Italian Festival
a Celebration of Italian Food, Wine and Culture
Italy in the Tropics
Ciao and welcome aboard a journey celebrating and showcasing the flavours of Italian food, culture, family values and history, whilst embracing and involving the entire local community and businesses to participate in one of the most exciting events in the Cairns Calendar.
The Cairns Italian festival is an event that encompasses the entire North Queensland region from Cairns, Atherton, Dimbulah, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Innisfail, Mareeba, Mossman, Mutchilba, Port Douglas, Silkwood, Tully, and Yungaburra.
The Cairns Italian Festival provides a unique opportunity for the local community to rethink how the Italian story is told in Cairns by delivering a diverse and unique program of activities that are highly engaging and that reignite inter-cultural and inter-generational community connections.
Set in the beautiful location of Cairns, the Cairns Italian Festival is a bucket-list destination event that will be on the annual event calendar of foodies from around Australia each and every year. We can’t wait for you to join us to celebrate!
Eat
Drink
Be Entertained
What’s On
View our event calendar for 2023 here!
As proud and passionate Australian Italians, we are excited to provide an event that will enrich and engage the community and local businesses as one. Come and experience our amazing North Queensland winter weather and allow us to provide the world-class entertainment! This is an annual event not to be missed.
What does the Cairns Italian Festival represent?
The Cairns Italian Festival is an event that is way overdue and encompasses the entire North Queensland region from Cairns, Atherton, Dimbulah, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Innisfail, Mareeba, Mossman, Mutchilba, Port Douglas, Silkwood, Tully, and Yungaburra. The Inaugural Cairns Italian Festival is a celebration rich in history, culture, food, wine, song, and dance that will encompass a week of festivities.
Our festival is a week of highly charged and authentic Italian entertainment celebrations, but it also pays homage honouring the Italian immigrants that left their homeland in search for a better life and future in Australia. Generations of Italians making Australia home and changing the face and future of the North Queensland Region in farming, business, and development.
We must all pay the highest RESPECT to our parents, grandparents and great grandparents migrating to Australia and dealing with extreme hardships. The physical work of clearing land for farming, cutting cane by hand, picking tobacco by hand, the language barrier, no money, no phones, no family help, and the uncertainty of their future. Their choices were, work hard, work harder, don’t complain, and keep working harder. What they did have however was strong moral values, friendships, and the ability to help each other in times of need. All the while the “Family” as the most important fabric of their life.
Hall of Fame Awards Night
Award Categories include:
- Community Service Award
- Farming and Agriculture Award
- Business Recognition Award
- Developing and Building Award
- Educational Achievement Award
- Sporting Achievement Award
- Arts and Culture Achievement Award
- Life member, voted by the Cairns Italian Festival Committee
The Hall of Fame Awards will be presented at the annual Cairns Italian Festival Gala Ball.
Meet the faces behind the Festival
Since the inception of this event, a new Italian Family was created in our Cairns Italian Festival Committee. Italians from all regions of Italy and non-Italians who share our passion are creating beautiful new memories and friendships. If you would like to volunteer at the event or join our committee, please join us! We want you to be part of our family and if you are not Italian, we welcome you with open arms.