Lismore and Northern Rivers Herb Festival 2002
Festival Promises Plenty of Fun
 The Herbie Parade is a highlight of the upcoming Northern Rivers Herb Festival.
Lismore's parks and gardens, entertainment venues and the city streets will come alive for the second annual Northern Rivers Herb Festival - the main bulk of which will be held next Saturday and Sunday, August 17-18. Other activities will run throughout the week of August 19-24 - the festival concluding with the Hot n' Spicy Ball on August 24.
People from around the country will converge on Lismore during the nine-day event to celebrate Australia's budding herb and herb product industry, much of which is centred in the Northern Rivers.
The festival features a range of events for the whole family, from Spice Appreciation Seminars with Ian Hemphill, to the popular VW 'Herbie' parade and the delicious HerBBQ. Following is a short description of just some of the many events taking place.
The HerBBQ
Local and regional restaurants and chefs will cook a selection of aromatic herb morsels on the BBQ including parsley, mint and macadamia crusted lamb cutlets with coriander pesto, BBQ beef and sweet potato with garlic and thyme dressing, and lavender meringue (just to name a few!). A true taste sensation.
Festival Entertainment
There will be non-stop live entertainment at the festival that includes performances by Jim Kelly's Thrillseekers, Monkey and the Fish, D'volv, The Romaniacs, Swanky Dee, the Durga Babies and many more. There's also lots of activities for kids - for the littlies there's lantern making workshops and the Lantern Parade, spaghetti circus performances, face painting and a gypsy puppet theatre. For older kids there's the MAAD Thyme Youth Gig which features BMX demos, DJs, breakdance battles, hip hop demos and aerosol art in the Skate Park all weekend.
Herbie Parade
The festival showcases all manner of VW, or 'Herbies', with a parade through the heart of Lismore. The parade has already gained a wide spread reputation, and herbie enthusiasts are bringing cars from as far away as Toowoomba and Katoomba for the event. The official start to the festival, the parade will be led by a group of Lismore residents dressed completely in green, doing the 'Herbal Hustle'.
Hot 'n Spicy Ball
Held on August 24, Norpa's 2002 Hot n' Spicy Ball is a night of stunning cuisine and exotic rhythms. A sell out last year, the event features 10-piece samba band, Hot Mambo, and the only criteria is 'dress to express'. For bookings phone 6621 5600.
Other events
Some of the other events at the Herb Festival include the Big Herb and Tomato Day on August 24 at Lismore Home Hardware and Garden Centre, which includes a sausage sizzle, tomato and herb cooking demos, seed and seedling growing demos, competitions and activities for the kids. There's also the annual Herb Tea Party at Hazy House, which features medicine garden and nursery tours, as well as talks and teas for the whole family. Another highlight of the festival is the Southern Cross University and Cellulose Valley Natural Living Seminars, which are free at Lismore City Hall on August 18 and 19. People can ask questions from local leaders about all aspects of healthy herbal living and discover the latest developments in herbal medicines and natural therapies. When it's time to relax and 'chill out' for a moment check out the Great Greenridge Vitality Bar, where you can enjoy a freshly squeezed exotic juice, and have it 'super-charged' with one of the many herbal tonics produced by Greenridge.
- For more information on any of the events above, and the many more that are happening throughout the Northern Rivers Herb Festival, check out the official Herb Festival program at www.herbfestival.org. As well as a map and the program, there's plenty of information on specific events and performances that will be happening throughout the festival.
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