There’s special poetry to an Irish festival: the combination of good food, great drink, and the kind of atmosphere that has you jigging to Hibernian tunes one pint in. On Saturday, September 7, The Treehouse in North Sydney is planning exactly this type of craic with their Guinness and Oyster Festival.
Kicking off at 11:30 am, this festival is everything you didn’t know you needed this weekend. Oysters courtesy of Sydney’s premium rock oyster growers East33 and a shucking competition, Guinness pouring competition, a roast pig on a spit during the day, and a glorious Irish feast in the evening.
Not leaving out the kiddies, there’s also free face painting, Irish dancing, and even haircuts from Feel Good Project to raise funds for the Irish Support Agency NSW Inc. Entry to the day festivities is free, and the music alone is worth the visit— fiddles, flutes, and voices that could make a banshee weep.
Aside from creamy pints of the black stuff (Guinness), the bar will also be slinging Writers Tears whiskey and Gunpowder Irish gin and a sparkling wine bar for those who prefer their tipples with a bit of fizz. You’ll also be well fed with piping hot bowls of Galway chowder or some oysters Kilpatrick, both cooked over an open fire.
An Irish Feast
As the sun sets and the lights dim, The Treehouse transforms into a candlelit haven of Irish hospitality. Starting at 6 PM, all in aid of the Irish Support Agency NSW Inc, you’ll be treated to a three-course dinner that reads like a love letter to Irish cuisine. For $185 a head, you’ll start with East33 Sydney Rock Oysters, freshly shucked and served with house mignonette and lemon. Freshly baked Irish Soda Bread Rolls from Paddy the Baker will have you reaching for more butter than is socially acceptable.
Choose between a classic prawn cocktail with Queensland tiger prawns and avocado mousse, a creamy chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent, or the Galway chowder. For the main course, the choice is between beef cheeks braised in Guinness for 18 hours or a King Salmon with an Irish whiskey glaze. Both come with all the trimmings—new potatoes and asparagus.
For dessert you can pick between the dark chocolate and Guinness cake with double cream or the vanilla bean ice cream with toasted barley and house-made honeycomb, each bite is a reminder that sometimes, the simple things in life are the best—especially when they’re infused with Irish whiskey.
But beware, tickets for the feast will sell out faster than you can figure out how to say “sláinte”, so book quickly.
Where: The Art Gallery of NSW; Art Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
When: Saturday, September 7
Price: Free entry from 11:30 AM, $185 per person for the Irish feast
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