Event date: 5 - 7 December 2025
Join growers, makers and cherry lovers as we celebrate the iconic cherry in the heart of Young – Australia’s Cherry Capital – from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 December 2025.
The festivities begin early with Cherry Festival Week, so make it a weekend to remember as the town bursts into colour, flavour and community spirit for this unmissable regional celebration.
Young, nestled in the beautiful Hilltops Region, bursts into vibrant life each December with the National Cherry Festival. Proudly known as Australia’s Cherry Capital, our town celebrates its rich farming heritage and delicious cherries with joy and community spirit.
Join us on the first weekend of December as orchards glow red and green, signaling peak cherry season. Streets bustle with lively markets, music, laughter, and the irresistible aroma of freshly baked cherry pies. For over 150 years, cherries have been central to our story, connecting generations and cultures.
The festival isn’t just about cherries; it’s a vibrant showcase of our town’s resilience, unity, and history. Everyone, from locals to travelers worldwide, gathers to share in the warmth, friendship, and the sweetest cherries you’ll ever taste.
The Cardwell Pioneer Tours are currently operating every Monday and Thursday morning from 10am at the Visitor Information and Heritage Centre located in Cardwell. The tour incorporates all the buildings in the historic precinct and takes visitors on a fascinating journey of the area’s colourful history as they move through each building. The tour begins at the old Bush Telegraph building which was the Telegraph and Post Office and explains how Cardwell was founded in 1864 as the first port in North Queensland. Over in the Courthouse visitors can gain an understanding of the old judicial system. Several interesting items are on display including the original straight-jackets used in Tully to restrain the more energetic offenders. The old lock-up building was still in use during the1980s at the Cardwell Police Station. The final building is the old Shire Hall which the community used for a multitude of purposes included balls and other formal social events. The tour concludes on the balcony of the Visitor Information Centre where visitors can enjoy a complementary Devonshire Tea while taking in one of the best views in North Queensland overlooking Hinchinbrook Island, Gould Island and the Family Islands
Event date: 11 April - 19 April 2026
This years event promises to be a bigger-than-ever, amazing spectacle with balloons lighting up the night sky at the Cabonne Community Glow.
This experience includes Night Markets complete with Food and Wine Stalls, Live Music, Entertainment and the highlight of the evening, the Cabonne Community Glow - a magical experience where you'll see hot air balloons lighting up their burners synced to all-new music under the beautiful evening skies in the Central West.
The glow from the balloons is spectacular and will leave all who attend with great memories for years to come.