Although we do our best to confirm market information published on this site, at times dates and venues change at short notice. To avoid disappointment it is advisable to check these details with the organiser before travelling.

Special Events - Tasmania 2011
If what you're looking for isn't here, try Markets & Fairs magazine, available in newsagents for $5.00, which lists around 800 special events Australia-wide.

26th August - 4th September - JUNCTION ARTS FESTIVAL
Tasmanian Regional Arts (TRA) builds vibrant communities through arts and cultural development. TRA works with artists, our branch network and a wide range of organisations and communities to support the development, presentation and promotion of the arts throughout Tasmania.

24th - 26th September - TASMANIAN TROUT EXPO
The Tasmanian Trout Expo is a weekend of opportunity for all anglers - young and old, from the novice to the expert.
It’s an opportunity to win $10000 by catching Tracey the tagged wild trout, or lots of other prizes in the great fishing competition at Brumbys Creek. It’s a time to wander around the Expo, seeking out a bargain among the many stalls and exhibitors, tasting the great food, learning some fishing tips and enjoying the fashion parades and other events during the day. It’s a chance to trip the light fantastic and dance the night away at the Expo Trout Stomp (ages 18+ event) on Saturday night at the Cressy Town Hall, enjoy the music of the Picasso Bros., or even snap up a great prize at the monster auction. Be part of the action at the inaugural Tasmanian Schools Trout Fishing Championships on the Monday the 26th of September. Come along and watch competitors from 20 schools vie to take the title of the best trout fishing school in the state. There are also various competitions over the course of the weekend, including:
The Annual Art Competition – with a twist this year, as instead of individual prizes schools are invited to compete by decorating their own one metre high Tracey! The Photography Competition, with the opportunity to win great prizes in the junior or open sections, as well as a chance to show off those vintage photos of days long past.

30th September - 1st October - BURNIE SHOW
Two day regional agricultural show featuring large industrial hall display and traditional rural show events.
Exhibits of produce, animals, home arts, cultural and commercial fields, sideshow alley, rides and food.
Experience a day at one of Tasmania's traditional regional agricultural shows.
See exhibits of the best of Tasmanian daily life from produce, animals, home arts, cultural and commercial fields.
Slip along sideshow alley, grab some fairy-floss and try to win a prize.

6th - 8th October - ROYAL LAUNCESTON SHOW
Celebrate Tasmania's primary industries and enjoy the breeder competitions, industry displays, side-show rides and show bags. At this year's Show you will be able to see a wide range of attractions, activities and animal exhibitions and judging that celebrates Tasmania's agricultural industries as well as well your love for domesticated pets such as cats and dogs. Your children will love the cat and dog judging halls where they can see all the well groomed pets, and the long time Show favourite the animal nursery will give all the children the opportunity to pet rabbits and lambs and see up close, turkeys, ducks and hens, calves and suckling piglets.
You will be able to enjoy wood chopping, cottage industry exhibitions such as quilts, equestrian and live entertainment as well as the judging of the finest cattle, sheep and alpaca breeds.
Side-show-ally rides will keep the "bigger kids" entertained. There will be a huge range of show bags full of chocolates, sweets, toys and novelties. You will be able to experience the traditional Show food favourites like fairy floss and dagwood dogs.

8th October - Bloomin' Tulips!
Bloomin' Tulips! is a festival of sense stimulating events celebrating the flush of spring colour in the small coastal town of Wynyard on the north west coast of Tasmania. The event is themed Colours of Wynyard to celebrate the spring flowering of the tulips at Van Diemens Quality Bulb Farm on Table Cape.
During the festival you will marvel at the wonderland created by tulips in full bloom along our scenic coast.
You will want to join the fun of a cocktail at our Tulips@Twilight evening; enjoy local art, craft, and music to suit all tastes; experience some magic at our at the spectacular ANZ Fireworks over the Inglis River on Saturday evening; become the new champion in our quirky Tulip Tossing Championships; sample the culinary delights of our fresh island produce or just become a local during your brief time with us!
Wynyard enjoys one of the best temperate climates in the world. It is just 5 minutes to our clean sandy beaches and interesting fossils embedded in Fossil Bluff. Take the walking track along our picturesque, healthy river, teeming with bird life, abundant with fish and safely harbouring fishing boats.
Wynyard is only ten minutes from the refreshingly cool, quiet forest areas, one hour from invigorating mountains or, for that matter, one of the world's finest cities, Melbourne!
Wynyard is flat and therefore easy for walking or shopping. Our basic needs are quite easily met within our small and pleasant shopping precinct.
Take the opportunity to walk through the largest publicly accessible area of tulips under cultivation in the southern hemisphere on Table Cape, and enjoy the superb floral showcase, art exhibition, and light refreshments. Bulbs, flowers and potted colour are all for sale at the Table Cape tulip farm.

8th - 9th October - SPRING COMMUNITY FESTIVAL
The Spring Community Festival is the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens premiere festival overflowing with entertainment, activities, rides, food, wine and much, much more. Come along and be a part of a fun family day celebrating spring in Tasmania. More than 15,000 visitors are expected at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens for this year's Spring Community Festival. The weekend event will be held on October 8th & 9th with the vibrant annual display of spring colour providing a dazzling backdrop for a program of non-stop family entertainment, music and food. There are plenty of activates for the kids with VERTIGO mobile climbing wall, jumping castles, face painting, fun and games. The festival highlights a strong bond between the community and the Gardens and it provides an opportunity for the RTBG to enhance its links with local people and visitors.
The festival which began as the Tulip Festival has been bringing Tasmanians and visitors together to celebrate spring for more than 25 years and is one of the most popular events on the Gardens' calendar.
This year's festival will feature fine Tasmanian musicians in a diverse program that fills the whole weekend. Features include: Gardening gurus giving hands on demonstrations. Great bands including both days
A state wide busking competition Dancers from many disciplines including swing, tango, salsa and contemporary.
Non-stop entertainment will include bands, multicultural music, dancer and a giant buskers competition can be seen on the Hobart City Council Community stage. . Children's entertainment will be centred at the activity Centre on the lower playground area with roving performers wandering throughout the Gardens to ensure all patrons are having fun.
Preparations have been underway for the 2011 festival with the Gardens staff braving the elements to plant fantastic annuals in preparation for a riot of colour in spring.
The 2010 Spring Community Festival attracted around 16,000 people who enjoyed a weekend of entertainment, music, activities, community demonstrations, food and, of course, breathtaking garden displays.

8th - 9th October - Woodcraft Annual Exhibition and Sale
Ulverstone. Sale, display and exhibition of top quality woodcraft made exclusively by North West Tasmanian woodworkers. The weekend also includes full live demonstrations of woodcraft plus and annual competition for members of the North West Woodworkers Guild.
Refreshments are available and there is a door prize and a raffle.
Craft, wood and woodworking accessories are also available for sale.

14th October - Flinders Island Agricultural Show
The Flinders Island Show is a traditional agricultural and pastoral show, reflecting the Island's traditional rural heritage. The show includes sheep, cattle and wool displays competing for best of show awards and visitors can watch the sporting events, including equestrian and wood chopping competitions.
View the exhibitions and purchase produce, food and other goods in the home industries area and trade hall.
There will be evening entertainment, and children's activities including a merry-go-round and jumping castle and games. Flinders Island is the main island of the Furneaux group, a collection of 52 islands that stretch across Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia.

14th - 23rd October - North East Rivers Festival
The North East Rivers Festival’s is a unique cultural festival that recognises and celebrates the important of rivers in the North East and draws together the many communities that are situated along the riverbanks.
The Derby River Derby is one of the feature events of the North East River Festival which includes opening activities, Golf Challenge, Pipers Brook Vineyard concert, markets, open garden, art exhibitions, movie night, history walks, combined church service and a wide variety of stalls, food outlets and entertainment, music and ground activities.

15th October - Longford Show
Equestrian events, chopping and tree felling, animal nursery, rides, games and more.
The Longford Show, which prides itself on being a family show, is considered one of the best one day shows in Tasmania. The attendance over the past few years has been approximately seven to eight thousand people.
The show features well patronised equestrian events, which include show jumping and led events. Additional attractions include the poultry and dog shows, chopping and tree felling, sheep and fleeces, show girl / boy competitions, animal nursery. You will find all the usual show attractions and all the side show alley rides, games and face-painting at the Longford Show. The home industries and school sections are always very popular, and there is always a great display of artwork from the local schools, as well as the adult art and craft and cooking attractions.

19th - 22nd October - Royal Hobart Show
Experience country life with a carnival atmosphere.
At this year's show you will be able to see a wide range of attractions, activities and animal exhibitions and judging that celebrates Tasmania's agricultural industries as well as well your love for domesticated pets such as cats and dogs. Your children will love the cat and dog judging halls where they can see all the well-groomed pets, and the long time Show favourite the animal nursery will give all the children the opportunity to pat rabbits and lambs and see turkeys, ducks and hens, calves and suckling piglets up close. You will be able to enjoy the fashion parade, wood chopping, cottage industry exhibitions such as quilts, equestrian and live entertainment as well as the judging of the finest cattle, sheep and alpaca breeds. Side-show-ally rides will keep the "bigger kids" entertained. There will be a huge range of show bags full of chocolates, sweets, toys and novelties.
You will be able to experience the traditional Show food favourites like fairy floss and dagwood dogs.

29th October - ULVERSTONE SHOW
Come one, come all, and experience country life with a carnival atmosphere at the Ulverstone Show. The Show has traditional livestock and dog showing and competitions, home industries, industry hall, vintage tractor displays and the always popular animal nursery where you can get up close to a variety of cute baby animals. Horse jumping and woodchopping are the main sporting events and you will find all the usual show attractions, side show alley rides and games and show-bags full of "goodies".

29th October - 6th November - TasPride Festival
The biggest celebration of 2011 for the GLBTI community in Tasmania will be taking place right across the state for two weeks from Saturday 29th of October to Sunday 13 November. This is a great period for renewing friendships and gaining new ones, with many social activities. Following the success of last year’s TasPride Festival, we expect 2011 to be even bigger and better. Sporting a jam-packed schedule of high-quality events, TasPride Festival will bring new visitors to the state, and offers a great opportunity for Tasmania to show off its cultural diversity – and a GLBTI community that is movin’ and shakin’! If you’ve ever wanted to explore the natural and cultural wonders of Tasmania, the TasPride Festival is the ideal time to come over to the heart-shaped island! This year the Program Guide will include touring options, sample itineraries and special offers for the GLBTI community visiting our shores.

4th - 7th November - TASMANIAN CRAFT FAIR
The quaint town of Deloraine comes alive when it plays host to the annual Tasmanian Craft Fair - the largest craft fair in the country, attracting a mammoth 30,000 visitors. The Craft Fair is held in various venues around Deloraine over the 4 days, with free buses transporting visitors from venue to venue. A widely successful event, Tasmanian Craft Fair was selected as the 'Tasmanian Community Event of the Year.

5th November - WESTBURY SHOW
A traditional rural event where you can see showing competitions for livestock like cattle and well-loved and well-groomed domesticated animals including dogs. Show jumping will take place in the central arena and of course there is face-painting, show-bags and small children friendly sideshow alley rides. There are also some bigger rides for the "bigger kids". See displays of steam engines and vintage tractors.

5th - 6th November - The Zeehan Gem and Mineral Fair
This year’s Fair will have over 60 tables of Gems, Crystals, Beads, Fossils, Giftware, Carvings, Jewellery, Minerals, Gold and worldwide minerals. There will be two Specimen competitions to enter, one for Tasmanian minerals and one for worldwide minerals. It’s free to enter and there are great prizes to be won.
Also there will be a guess the Stones in the Jar competition to enter a huge raffle, show bags and a Crystal dig for the kiddies. Dodgem Cars, Giant Slide, Reptiles man Mick Thow, Fun Bugs shows and Face Painting.
Food and beverages include: Tassie Hot Spuds, Food van, Homemade pastries and slices, BBQs and much more.
Each year there is a $500.00 Crocoite specimen to be won for the Lucky Door Prize. You must be there at the time of draw to be eligible to win. On Saturday evening there will be a great Fireworks display at around 9.30pm

16th November - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF TOLERANCE
Observed on 16 November each year, the day was declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance.

26th December - 1st January - ROLEX SYDNEY TO HOBART YACHT RACE
The Rolex Sydney Hobart is a 628 nautical mile yacht race which begins in Sydney Harbour and finishes in Hobart.
Be part of the scene at one of the world’s great blue water classics. Each December you can see the world’s greatest yachts charging through Sydney Heads as they take part in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Once through The Heads, they turn south knowing they are casting their fate to the might of the great Southern Ocean and the winds of the Roaring Forties. The 628 nautical mile course is described as one of the most gruelling ocean races in the world. Since 1945, this blue water classic has thrilled Australians.
Thousands line Sydney Harbour or form farewell flotillas to cheer the departing yachties. Days later, in Hobart, the excitement builds as news of who will be the first boat to arrive comes through. You could be one of the hundreds who head to Constitution Dock to welcome the weary crews. Then it is celebration time with the Taste of Tasmania food fair and the Hobart Summer Festival right next to where the yachts dock.