Sample a special festival on Tasmania's east coast

Been meaning to sneak in a few days away on Tasmania's delightful east coast?

ECHO Festival could be the excuse you have been looking for.

ECHO runs over the weekend April 8, 9 and 10 and celebrates the regional harvest traditions, bringing together chefs, winemakers and producers, along with artists, musicians, storytellers, scientists, entrepreneurs and thought leaders.

“In the past two years we’ve been deprived on a sensory level – touch, shared tastes, sound and scent. ECHO wakes us up and takes us on a journey of exploration to reignite the senses,” says event creative producer Ange Boxall (also one of Australia's finest country singers).

“ECHO has all the elements of a festival – the finest Tasmanian food, wine and music – but it goes deeper. ECHO aims to connect, challenge and inspire us at a time when we need it most.”

The 2022 program offers a diverse range of experiences across food, science, nature, and arts - all centred around this year’s Kelp Forests theme. Central to the ecosystems of the East Coast, kelp has been a staple for Tasmanian Aboriginal people from this region for thousands of years.

“ECHO 2022 celebrates community, stories, authentic experiences and the coming together of cultural, culinary and local produce legends," says Boxall. "It’s a celebration and representation of who we truly are on the island.

"We crave these times more than ever, connecting by the fire over a red wine, sharing experiences and tales for a deeper kind of enrichment and rejuvenation.”

Interactive experiences include the Great Eastern Ferment (grape stomping) with winemaker Peter Dredge (Dr Edge) and the famous wine expert and nude pigeage specialist Mike Bennie.

The music program includes Hayley Mary (of the Jezabels), rising pop star and daughter of Troy Cassar-Dalry: Jem Cassar-Daly, festival favourites The Embers, and performance art from Emily Sanzaro and Julia Drouhin.

The inaugural, invitation-only ECHO Odyssey, running throughout the day on April 8, is a guided behind-the-scenes tour of the region, with stops at secret locations along the East Coast, and expert-led activities and sumptuous treats and tipples along the way.

Tickets start at $125pp for general admission, $175 for VIP, $250 for silver and $300 for gold.

Further details and ticket sales at www.echofestival.com.au. A free shuttle service will be running from central Swansea to the Redbanks Farm ECHO site throughout the festival.

Images: Dearna Bond