The fiery feature of the Huon Valley returned to Willie Smith’s over the weekend from Friday, July 15 to Sunday, July 17, marking a return to a festival norm for event organisers after disruption from COVID the past few years.

The Mid-Winter Festival, celebrating pagan traditions, as well as storytelling and the apple-growing history of the Huon Valley, is a major tourism drawcard for the Valley area, with over 1700 people trailing through the gates of the festival each day.

This is tripled from last year’s festival capacity, with more experiences, such as outdoor wood-fired hot tubs and Long Table Feasts, encouraging new faces to the weekend event.

Image: Wassail dancers performed during the Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival with a variety of folk dances.