Jungle Queen Fiona O’Loughlin, star of stage and screen and winner of the 2018 TV reality show, I’m a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here, will perform at the new Ice Cube venue on the festival’s first night, Friday 6 July.
The festival will be held until Sunday 22 July and has been expanded to 17 days, following the success of the first Winterfest in 2017 which attracted 57,000 people over 10 days.
The Ice Cube will seat 400 people and will also host ARIA Award winning musicians Megan Washington, The Audreys, and All Our Exes Live in Texas.
An enchanting northern European-style atmosphere will be created at Hart’s Mill by crackling open fires, twinkling lights, an alpine style bar offering mulled wine, a craft market and a bonfire singalong.
Winterfest is being held by Renewal SA with the support of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and local traders to generate economic activity and build on growing confidence and momentum at Port Adelaide.
Renewal SA General Manager People and Place Management, Georgina Vasilevski, said Winterfest would showcase Port Adelaide’s attractions and encourage more people to visit this unique part of South Australia.
“We had an overwhelmingly positive response from visitors and traders to our first Winterfest last year, which is why we have expanded it,” she said.
“Nearly half the food and drink vendors at this year’s event are based in Port Adelaide, including the newly re-opened Port Admiral Hotel, Red Lime Shack, Spice N Ice, Drummer Boy and Café 2 U.
“We have also just appointed two Port Adelaide-based entrepreneurs, Jaqueline Barmentloo and Andrea Christie, known together as POSH, to co-ordinate the market stalls at Winterfest.
“Jaqueline and Andrea are experienced event organisers and business people with a strong commitment to Port Adelaide and they are now seeking potential stall holders for Winterfest.
“In addition, we are providing targeted support to local businesses, including a business mentors scheme, throughout the year and Renewal SA is leading the urban redevelopment of Port Adelaide,” Ms Vasilevski said.
“Starfish Developments has started work on Stage One of its waterfront residential precinct at Dock One. The completed development will comprise about 650 homes, public open space, a promenade and pedestrian bridge.
“Across the Port River, Cedar Woods is continuing work on plans to develop about 15 hectares of waterfront land at the Fletcher’s Slip and North West precincts,” she said.
“This will offer 500 homes, about 30 per cent of public open space including a waterfront promenade and pedestrian links to the Glanville train station. It will feature adaptive reuse of Fletcher’s Slip, which is State Heritage listed. “
Family entertainment at Winterfest 2018 will include ice skating on the undercover ice rink, located on the waterfront, ice-skating performances, children’s art and craft workshops, Peter Combe concerts and roving performers.
Adults can also get involved by singing up a storm with hundreds of new friends in Pub Choir, learning some 'granny skills' from Rebecca Sullivan, author of The Art of the Natural Home series, or grabbing some needles and thread for a 'stitch n' bitch' with comedian Libbi Gorr.
Hearty appetites can be sated with warming food and drinks from a range of food trucks and bars, and for more leisurely dining, there will be a vegan long lunch and two long lunches with an indigenous theme to mark the start and end of NAIDOC Week.
Entry to Winterfest is free but tickets must be purchased for activities including ice-skating and workshops and concerts.