The Herb and Chilli Festival

Head to the beautiful Yarra Valley in March for the hottest weekend of the year, and get ready to turn up the heat and celebrate all things hot.

Spice things up and join us for our 15th Herb & Chilli Festival! You can explore over 100 stalls offering a wide range of spicy chilli and other great products. Sample tongue-tingling sauces, rubs, and marinades, and discover tantalising drinks that will add an extra kick to your palate.

We are expecting a really busy year with many people coming to try yummy food, drinks, listen to music, or watch our chilli fanatics test their taste buds.

Explore over 100 stalls offering a wide range of spicy chilli and other great products. Sample tongue-tingling sauces, rubs, and marinades, and discover tantalising drinks that will add an extra kick to your palate.

Engage in one of our 5 exhilarating competitions, including Captain Chilli, Stinger Wing Challenge, and Shot ‘n’ Holler. Also, one for our younger guests – Chilli Corn Challenge. Witness live cooking demos and learn new recipes to elevate your culinary skills. Delight in a variety of delectable dishes from our mouthwatering vendors, and refresh yourself with locally crafted beverages.

They want each visitor to feel they’ve received excellent value for money and to have a great day learning about herbs and chillies, collecting plants, clothes, and food products, and simply enjoying good food, wine, and entertainment in a relaxed country atmosphere. We’re keen to ensure the event’s longevity and aim to make the Herb and Chilli Festival the best in the country.

Since 2012, the festival has grown to become one of Melbourne’s not-to-be-missed food and wine events. Every year, thousands descend on Wandin in the picturesque Yarra Valley, Victoria, to sample and learn about the many herb and chilli varieties and how to use them. Many return year after year to enjoy the exceptional cuisine, music, and entertainment.

Families are welcome, and children under 14 can enter for free with any paying adult. Travel to the festival hassle-free with our convenient Chilli Express shuttle bus service, available from Lilydale train station.

As usual, funds raised from the Chilli Cook-Off will be supporting Seville CFA.

PLEASE NOTE: Online bookings close at 10.00 am each day. Tickets can still be purchased at the gate until 3.30pm

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

• A day out at Australia’s premier chilli festival
• Chance to trial Australia’s best Hot Sauces, including 2027 releases
• Eat great food – vegans and vegetarians catered for
• Australia’s largest range of chilli plants in one spot.
• Buy online and get a free $12 Herb and Chilli Festival hat
• Herb or chilli plant
• e-book on how to grow chillis
• Free Parking
• Weekend Tickets available
• Kids under 14 FREE!
• Kids’ entertainment is also FREE!
• Dogs on a leash welcome

Beer Garden

A wide open space with plenty of seating to kick back and enjoy a range of drinks by our amazing vendors. These include local beers on tap, local packaged beer, Yarra Valley wines and gin, exotic vodkas, alcoholic slushies, and sugar cane, plus a range of unusual beers from around the world.

Even an alcoholic Honey that tastes like a Tequila! Several varieties of Chilli Beer are a must-try – choose your favourite and take some home!

Featuring low key live music covering contemporary songs.

Eating Comps

The competitions throughout the festival are open to anyone over 18 (except the Kids Corn Challenge, which is open to 10 to 16-year-olds with a parent/guardian).

Contestants must register at the drinks/information stand. This can be done at any time, from opening to just prior to the start of the relevant competition. There is a limit of ten contestants per event.

Captain Chilli has three heats (two on Saturday and one on Sunday), and the final is on Sunday afternoon. The final three in each heat will go through to the final – free entry on Sunday for Saturday winners. Each heat (and final) involves eating raw hot chillis. The heat increases incrementally until we get to our hottest chilli. Then we move on to chilli sauces and oils with ever-increasing heat levels. In the last three standing (heats), the person standing (final) wins.

Shot n Holler requires contestants to mix a shot of tequila with a shot of super-hot sauce, then ‘Holler.’ The audience will vote for the best holler by applause.

The Stinger wing-eating race is in the same style as classic food races in the USA, but with the addition of a numbingly hot chilli sauce. Each contestant is given about five chicken wings covered in hot sauce. The first to eat all the meat off the wings wins! The bones must be clean of chicken!

The Kids Corn Challenge was created in response to many young people’s interest in participating. It consists of a race to eat two corn cobs covered with sweet chilli sauce – sweet with just a little bite. The event is open to kids ages 10-16, and they must have a parent or guardian present.

Cooking Demos

Love great food? Want to learn more about how to use herbs and spices (including chilli) in your daily cooking? Want to zhoosh up your meal repertoire? Well, this stage is the one for you!!!

No ‘prepared this earlier today’ dishes. These interactive sessions will set you on the path to impressing your friends and family with your new, tasty, exotic meals!

Music, Dancers & Entertainment

Get your groove on and your toes tapping at the Entertainment Stage! Featuring a great range of music to stimulate senses and get the toes tapping.

The music appeals to all ages and has a visual experience you won’t forget.

They know how to make a crowd smile. Their humour, fun, and musical style bring people to the dance floor, so bring your dance shoes.

KidZone

Our huge KidZone will keep the young ones entertained for hours.

An area just for kids, including Pony rides, face painting, and jumping castles. All free.

Shopping

We have lots of Herb and Chilli merchandise available, along with a handful of vendors selling clothing, cooking essentials, and more!

Food Court

Over twenty stalls selling hot and cold food from a range of different national cuisines. Tables and chairs are provided to sit down and enjoy the day.

Plant Sales

Renaissance Herbs will be selling a wide variety of plants. Many common herbs plus the largest range of chilli plants available in one spot. All the super hots plus lots of milder but better-tasting forms. All grown just for the Herb and Chilli Festival.

Chilli Cook Off

Think you’ve got a chilli recipe to show off to your friends?

We have twelve teams (six each day), all ready to show you what they can do. At least one inter-family challenge is fighting for bragging rights.

Come and taste and vote to see if you like the same ones as the judges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there on-site parking?
Yes, we have free parking for 700+ cars.

Are pets allowed?
Yes, well-behaved dogs are welcome, provided they are on a leash

Is there an ATM on site?
Yes, there is a cash-out facility at the Merchandise site.

Are vegan/vegetarian options available?
Yes, we have vegan and vegetarian-specific stalls, and most food outlets offer options.

Is there drinking water available?
Yes, in the centre of the event, we have a set of drinking fountains.

Is there security and first aid available?
Yes, we have full-time security from Friday evening to Sunday evening, and St John’s Ambulance has a team on site.

Getting There

The Herb and Chilli festival is really easy to find. Follow the signs from Lilydale to the festival.

• Take the Ringwood Bypass exit from Eastlink and head east on Maroondah Highway to Lilydale.
• After Lilydale, turn right along the Warburton Highway for about 7km to Wandin.
• Turn right after the roundabout in Wandin along Beenak Road.
• At the top of the next hill, turn left into Quayle Road.
• By now, you should be able to see the festival!!!

From Belgrave and south, follow directions to Monbulk.

• Turn left at the first roundabout on the road to Mt Evelyn/Lilydale.
• Proceed to Hunter Road (9km) and then turn right – look for the Herb and Chilli Festival sign.
• Drive down Hunter Road, which turns into Quayle Road, and you will see the Festival!!!

Public Transport
Take the train to Lilydale (end of the Lilydale line). Journey time is approximately 1 hour from Flinders Street Station.

• There will be a bus running from Lilydale Station to the Festival, leaving every half hour from 9.30am to 4.30pm and returning on the hour from 10.00am to 5.00pm.

Tickets are $10 return and can be bought online when you buy your festival ticket.

Bicycle friendly

• Take Warburton Trail east from Lilydale Station through Mt Evelyn over Warburton Highway and up past Wandin to Burgi Hill Road (second road after Warburton Hwy) – about 13kms.
• Turn right up Burgi Hill Road, Left into Henderson Road, then right into Wallace Road.
• Over Warburton Highway and along Quayle Road for 1 km.

We have a dedicated bicycle parking area.