The 2026 Harcourt Applefest will be bigger and better than ever – celebrating the incredible resilience of the Harcourt community who have endured so much in recent weeks.
The festival committee are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure they can accommodate a record-number of visitors to the annual festival.
Aided by $10,000 through the Regional Events Fund the committee will utilise some of the additional funding to aid with ballooning traffic management costs enabling the festival to expand beyond James Park and into the surrounding streets.
During Wednesday’s funding announcement, Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards said she has been working closely with the Harcourt Applefest Planning Committee to determine how to best support them to deliver an outstanding festival following the fire.
“For over 30 years, Harcourt Applefest has brought people together to celebrate our wonderful local producers, and this year will be no different,” she said.
“This year’s event will be a brilliant symbol of community, and will highlight everything we love about our region.”
Another big coup for the committee of volunteers is the collective funding from Castlemaine Rotary ($40,000), Community Bank Maldon & District ($25,000), Lions and Mount Alexander Shire Council for a permanent stage in James Park.
The stage has been on the committee’s wish list for the past five years to help alleviate the time consuming and heavy work of the volunteers who have had to assemble and dismantle a temporary stage each year.
Festival stalwart George Milford told the Mail that the permanent stage will be in constant use during not only the Applefest, but other community events such as Music Harcourt and Gather Harcourt.
“We are really grateful for all the initiatives that are coming together to help celebrate in the centre of Harcourt,” he said.
“When I was a child, the parks in Harcourt were totally deserted and neglected. Now we work on them, and we celebrate, play, have musical entertainment, and markets.”
And of course, the Applefest wouldn’t be complete without a royal family.
This year’s Lady William is fourth-generation Harcourt girl, Jeanette Teague, and her husband, John Teague, will stand proudly by her side as King Jonathon.
Lady William and King Jonathon were announced in December last year, and feel appointment is a great honour.
“It is more important than ever, and hopefully now we will be ambassadors to bring people back to Harcourt,” Jeannette said.
The 2026 Harcourt Applefest will be held from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, March 7. Visit applefest.harcourt.vic.au/ to view the program.