Fiesta recognised at tourism awards
• Tassie Scallop Fiesta co-ordinator Leonie Johnston acknowledged as an extraordinary organiser by David Edgar, from Events Tasmania.
By Tony Scott
December 15, 2021
The Tassie Scallop Fiesta has won a regional tourism award for its co-ordinator.
The annual awards ceremony hosted by Visit Northern Tasmania at the Clover Hill winery at Lebrina acknowledged the Fiesta’s Leonie Johnston as an organiser extraordinaire.
The Fiesta was created four years ago as a means of encouraging some more cultural and social life and added business during the normally quiet period of winter in Bridport and the wider North-East.
The opening of the commercial scallop season, the port’s place in the history of the fishery and its continuing part as a processing hub made it the obvious hook for the event.
“Not only has it become a much-anticipated annual event, but a number of other activities have grown up under the Tassie Scallop Fiesta umbrella,” Mrs Johnston said.
She thanked the Fiesta committee and volunteers for making her position enjoyable.
However, helping to run one of the few public events to go ahead over the past two years presented many challenges.
“But on the day the Fiesta was very successful despite a soggy Village Green.
“We had nearly 1500 people through the gate, and it was a great opportunity for the 21 food and beverage providers to be able to ply their wares along with the entertainment we had for patrons.”
The awards, including one for Unique Charters boss Peter Barron for his innovation of the helicopter tour business, were presented for six different categories of excellence in their field.
The ceremony featured a selection of fine local produce and a special introductory taster of new Tasmanian-based business Dinner in the Sky, where groups of 22 diners are hoisted about 40 metres into the air by a crane hooked up to their dining table with accompanying chefs and waiters.
The restricted menu featured a ceviche of Bridport scallops accompanied by the local drop.