The lawns of Quamby Estate will come alive on Sunday 15 March as the Tasmanian Heirloom Festival celebrates the colour, flavour, and stories behind Tasmania’s heirloom produce.
Set beneath the estate’s heritage trees, the festival blends food, music, and community into an unhurried day designed for wandering, tasting, listening, and learning. It is a natural evolution of the much-loved Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival, expanding its focus to embrace the full breadth of heirloom fruit and vegetables grown across the state.
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Live music will set the tone throughout the day, providing a relaxed soundtrack as visitors explore the stalls or settle in on the grass. From 9.30am to 12.30pm, Jason Taylor will ease festival-goers into the morning. From 12.45pm to 3.45pm, Launceston duo Just Flare, Hannah and Zac, take over with warm harmonies and laid-back covers. Visitors are encouraged to bring a camp chair or picnic rug, or simply perch on a hay bale, rest their feet in the shade, and enjoy some outstanding local talent.
The centrepiece of Heirloom Heaven is a 30-metre-long table showcasing hundreds of varieties of tomatoes, apples, potatoes, beans, and chillies. Each variety tells a story of seeds saved, skills passed down, and generations of growers who valued quality over convenience.
The Tasmanian Heirloom Festival has also invited the public to take part in a wide-ranging produce competition program. Categories span everything from garlic, tomatoes, and heritage apples to preserves, sauces, oils, and creative displays inspired by heirloom produce.
New for 2026 is the Largest Pumpkin category, following the distribution of Dill’s Atlantic Giant pumpkin seedlings to amateur and professional growers in October 2025. With dozens of seedlings planted across the state, organisers are eagerly awaiting the results.
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Competition categories have been expanded to be more inclusive than ever, celebrating the full diversity of shapes, colours, and flavours found across the heirloom spectrum. From perfectly grown vegetables to the biggest, weirdest, or ugliest produce, there is space for both excellence and creativity.
For those seeking something extra special, the festival’s Long Table Lunch offers an intimate dining experience inside the historic Quamby Homestead.
Behind the scenes, Tasmanian Garlic & Tomato Festival Inc. is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to celebrating local and seasonal produce, supporting growers and makers, and strengthening community connections. All profits are reinvested into future festivals and initiatives that benefit rural communities.The Tasmanian Heirloom Festival takes place on Sunday 15 March at Quamby Estate in Hagley. Book tickets on their website: heirloomfest.au
