The latest details about the 2023 Gemfields Festival, including a full program and ticketing info, can be found here.
The story below is about the 2022 event and is therefore now out of date!
BY CAPRICORN ENTERPRISE
The Sapphire Gemfields are once again ready to dazzle this August as the quintessentially unique destination, located just a short distance from Emerald, comes to life for the inaugural Gemfields Festival.
Kicking off on Saturday 6th August, the week of community celebration and enga’GEM’ent will welcome locals and visitors from far and wide to take part in a suite of exciting events that showcase this diverse and distinctive part of the world.
CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM HERE
From family fun days, high teas, and fossicking, to workshops, mine showcases, historic walks, a fancy-dress ball and much more, the arran’GEM’ent of festivities stretching across the townships of Rubyvale, Sapphire, Anakie and Willows have something appealing to everyone of all ages and abilities.
Following a significant rebrand of the region’s biggest tourism event, ‘Gemfest’, which was cancelled for two years running due to COVID outbreaks, the Gemfields Festival will bring local community groups together to deliver an extravaganza across the fields.
Treasurer of the Festival Mana’GEM’ent Committee, Elizabeth Creagh is looking forward to seeing the Gemfields once again swarming with excitement and joy, particularly in this new format.
“The introduction of new events throughout the week will create incredible hype and deliver Queensland’s biggest and longest celebration of gems right here in CQ,” Elizabeth said.
“Gemfest fans will still be able to find their favourite stones at displays across Anakie, Rubyvale, Sapphire, and The Sapphire Markets, and there will also be exciting competitions and prizes galore including the very popular Stake A Claim.”
“We have a brilliant local community that is extremely passionate about their backyard and the treasures they unearth daily, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to join in the fun,” Elizabeth said.
“People from all over the world descend on the Sapphire Gemfields each year to experience fossicking firsthand, and our hope is that this event will become a date claimer on many calendars for years to come.”
Not to be missed, the Festival’s Saturday night spectacular in Rubyvale will be jam-packed full of family fun, bonfires, fireworks, fine food, bar, and awesome music by headliners Mango Junction rocking well into the evening.
Capricorn Enterprise CEO, Mary Carroll congratulates the Gemfields on pulling together the fabulous week-long calendar of events and encourages those from right across the Capricorn region, to pack up the family, jump in the car and experience this jewel on our doorstep.
“The numbers of people who returned year after year to Gemfest were a testament to the richness and quality of events that this region delivers,” Mary said.
“The Central Queensland Highlands together with the Southern Great Barrier Reef is fast becoming incredibly popular for its diverse terrains, top class tours, attractions, accommodation, retailers and world-class events, all of which is continuing to put our wonderful destination on the map and increase visitation.”
With its new strategy and vision of drawing visitors to the region, the Gemfields Committee will also be hosting two new events – Gemfields Mardi Gras in October and Gemfields Rocks! in May 2023 so mark them on your calendar.
For more information and to find out ‘what’s on’ as part of the Gemfields Festival, visit www.whatson.centralqueenslandhighlands.com.au
