National Cherry Festival - Young

05/06/2026

🏆🍒 AWARD-WINNING AND BACK FOR 2026! 🍒🏆

We're so excited to share that the Multicultural Cherry Fiesta, held as part of the National Cherry Festival, has won the Festivals and Community Events category at the 2026 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards!

This prestigious award recognises the incredible experience enjoyed by thousands of visitors who joined us in the Hilltops Region last year to celebrate cherries, culture, community and country hospitality.

To everyone who travelled to Young and the Hilltops Region for the 2025 Festival...thank you. Your support helped make the event the success it was, and we're so grateful you chose to celebrate with us. ❤️

And if you missed out last year, now is the perfect time to start planning your visit!

From the iconic National Cherry Festival Street Parade and Cherry Pie Eating Competition to the award-winning Multicultural Cherry Fiesta, live entertainment, markets, local food and wine, orchard experiences and plenty of family fun, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

🍒 Mark your calendar and experience one of regional Australia's most loved festivals.
🍒 Explore the beautiful Hilltops Region in full cherry season.
🍒 Create memories with family and friends at an award-winning event.

The National Cherry Festival returns from Friday 4- Sunday 6 December 2026, and we can't wait to welcome visitors from across Australia and beyond for another unforgettable weekend.

Who's planning their trip already? In the meantime we are celebrating with a little cherry wine and a cheers for this exciting win 🙌🍒

🏆🍒 Fantastic news for our community!

At the recent 2026 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards in Sydney, Hilltops Council won the Festivals and Community Events (Population Under 50,000) category for our Multicultural Cherry Fiesta! 🎉

This award was contested by a strong field of finalists from across NSW, including major events such as the Parkes Elvis Festival, Flavours of Mudgee and the Festival of Mosman, and recognises the incredible teamwork behind the event, from Council staff and volunteers to local businesses, community groups, and residents.

Held as part of the 2025 National Cherry Festival which generated an estimated $1.78 million for the local economy, the Multicultural Cherry Fiesta celebrated the cultural diversity of our region 🍒🌏💰

Even more exciting, the event has secured additional funding and will return again this year! 🙌

A huge congratulations and thank you to Council staff, volunteers, community groups, and event partners whose hard work made this award-winning event possible. This achievement belongs to our entire Hilltops community 👏🏆❤️

Pictured: Mayor Brian Ingram and Acting General Manager, Sarah Karaitiana accepting the award on behalf of Hilltops Council.

15/05/2026

🍒 SAVE THE DATE – 2026 SWSbank National Cherry Festival 🍒

There’s nothing quite like cherry season in Young. Gorgeous sunny days, country hospitality and streets bursting with colour, flavour and festive spirit. This sums up the SWSbank National Cherry Festival which returns to Young from Friday 4 – Sunday 6 December 2026. ✨

Just 2 hours from Visit Canberra and an easy 4-hour drive from Sydney.com, the Cherry Capital of Australia will once again come alive with vibrant entertainment, market stalls, orchard experiences, family fun, cherry-inspired events and celebrations across the entire weekend. 🍒

Returning for its second year, the Multicultural Cherry Fiesta will open the festival on Friday night with a vibrant celebration of culture, music, food and community beneath the beautiful summer sky. 🌏

Whether you’re visiting for the cherries, the atmosphere or a summer weekend escape in the Hilltops Region, now is the time to lock the dates into your calendar and start planning your trip.

Follow on Facebook and Instagram (.national.cherry.festival) for festival announcements, applications and exciting updates coming soon. 👋

See how to get involved 👋 www.nationalcherryfestival.com.au
Start planning your cherry getaway 🍒 www.visithilltopsregion.com.au

21/12/2025

Thankyou to our amazing photographer Lucy, who over the cherry festival weekend captured the heart and spirit of our event beautifully! ❤️🍒

21/12/2025

Great news for cherry lovers 🍒 there's still lots of delicious cherries and stonefruit available in the Hilltops Region.Call 1800 628 233 for all the best places to visit ❤️

18/12/2025

🍒 THANK YOU, CHERRY LEGENDS! 🍒

What an absolutely fantastic celebration the 75th National Cherry Festival was this year!…and wow, did you all bring the cherry fever! ❤️🍒

The crowds were huge across the entire weekend, the atmosphere was electric and the smiles and cherries just kept coming. We want to send a massive thank you to everyone who made it so special… our incredible performers and entertainers, visitors who travelled near and far, our amazing locals and volunteers who showed up and showed love, our hardworking businesses and of course our very valued sponsors who help make it all possible.

A special highlight was the Multicultural Cherry Fiesta on Friday night, made possible through Multicultural NSW grant funding. It was a truly beautiful celebration, with many cultures coming together to share food, music, dance and stories. This created unforgettable memories and showcased the rich diversity of our community. 🌏✨

From start to finish, the weekend was bursting with colour, culture, connection and plenty of cherry-flavoured fun.

🍒 Thank you for catching cherry fever with us 🍒
We can’t wait to do it all again…

📅 See you next year from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December!
📍 Young,
🌏 www.visithilltopsregion.com.au

🍒

14/12/2025

Thankyou Laura for sharing these amazing pics and videoing our Festival 👌🍒ft: B I R D E E 王煒 and Dylan Wright

09/12/2025

2025 75th National Cherry Festival Cherry Case Display Winner is Top of the Hill Cherry Orchard!

Congratulations and we love the retro feel you brought for this iconic year! 🍒

09/12/2025

Wonderful feedback 🍒

My heart is full. This was my first National Cherry Festival - Young market, and the amount of love and support I received was beyond anything I expectations, truly a blessing.
I met so many wonderful people over the two days. Some of you even came back again the same lovely faces, the same warm smiles. One little girl did henna on Saturday, and then on Sunday she returned with her mum and sister for henna too. How beautiful is that? Moments like these stay with me forever.
I also noticed many of you started following my page after trying my food thank you. Every follow, every visit, every kind word means so much to me.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you Young, thank you to my amazing community, my local people, and all the visitors who came and made our small town lively and joyful during the festival.
I will remember each and every one of your support.

— Shefa’s Dine 🦋