More than 7500 people flocked to Halls Gap at the weekend for the Grampians Grape Escape, reaffirming the region’s resilience and appeal following a challenging summer of bushfires.

Starting on Friday evening, there was a 20 per cent increase in attendance to Feel Good Friday, which set the tone for a vibrant weekend of food, wine and live music.

The festival also launched its new Pour It Forward initiative, raising more than $10,500 by encouraging attendees to ‘drink for good’ with every glass poured, introduced to further support regional producers following the Grampians fires.

The Great Grape Games brought fresh energy to the weekend, offering lighthearted team challenges, while the Grampians Winemakers’ Barrique Auction once again delivered a successful result of about $28,000 for the region’s producers.

Another highlight was longtime festival board member Kevin Erwin being presented with life membership. Festival director Kate Kirkpatrick said exhibitor feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many producers reporting record sales across the weekend, some even restocking mid-festival to meet demand. 

EDITORIAL: Grampians buzzing

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