W.A.’s Truffle Kerfuffle, a weekend long festival celebrating the world renowned Black Truffle & local fresh produce isn’t just for grown ups!
Even though my kids were unanimously unimpressed with the smell of “black gold” there is a whole load more of fantastic things to do to keep your kids entertained & interested all weekend!
With free entry for all kids 15 years & under, what’s stopping you from trying out the Truffle Kerfuffle with your family?
1. Get up close & personal with the local wildlife!
Marron are a freshwater crustacean found in WA’s south west. The kids learnt that although marron walk forwards, they swim backwards! Not only are they fun to pat, they taste delicious!
2. Experience strange & delicious fresh produce
In the Marketplace tent you’ll find stalls & stalls of local producers, winemakers, farmers, bee keepers & chocolatiers! The kids loved guessing varities of vegetables they’d never seen before – the black or purple capsicum was a favourite! Fresh potatoes straight from the ground, covered in lovely dirt! Honey! And of course Truffles! Loads of the stalls have demonstrations & tasting so there’s always something to see & try!
3. Take a “Kids Only” cooking class with a MasterChef!
My kids were totally excited to take part in the Kids Cooking Class with Perth’s own Jessica Arnott from the 2015 series. Jess taught them how to make gnocchi which they then ate for lunch!
4. Become a Truffle Hunter!
A ticket to a Truffle Hunt is the best thing ever! A short shuttle bus ride from the Festival will take you to one of three Truffle producers in the region. A guided walk through the Hazelnut & Oak tree orchards with the Truffle hunting dog & it’s handler, sniffing out the black gold! The kids in the group walked out in front with the Handler & our dog Lucky & were always first on the scene to watch the Truffle being dug out of the ground. Walking, watching, learning & collecting treasures was a wonderful way to spend an hour in the fresh air!
5. Meet a real life Chocolatier, Bee Keeper or Chef…
In the Marketplace or at the Truffle Tent you can meet, chat to & watch the experts in action. My kids especially enjoyed watching Chocolatier Sue Lewis in action – discovering what chocolate is made from, made into as well as a lot of delicious tastings!!
6. Camping
We spent two nights camping on the festival site at Fonty’s Pool Caravan Park. My kids love to camp, always such a novelty! We were lucky enough to stay in a WA Wilderness Glamping tent. No fuss camping, the tent, bedding, camp kitchen – it’s all set up for you on arrival! There was even marshmallows for toasting! Being all set up & ready to go meant there was much more time for exploring, playing & having fun! (You don’t have to camp – there’s variety of accommodation options in the area).
7. Story Time
We listened to local Illustrator Gabriel Evans read one of the books he’d illustrated. Gabriel also demonstrated how he drew his favourite characters from his books. He totally engaged the crowd of kids & grown ups alike.
8. Get Your Groove On!
The Truffle Kerfuffle Bar is located overlooking beaufitul Fonty’s Pool. The perfect place to grab a quiet drink in the afternoon – the kids can watch the live music, dance & play on the grass – perfect!
9. Just For Kids – Sunday is Family Day!
There is a range of activities to keep the kids entertained – face painting, sculpture workshops & Still Life Drawing Classes. There’s even pencils & colouring in to be found at the tables in the Marketplace, perfect to keep the kids entertained while the grown ups try a sneaky local wine or cider!
10. Climb & Play
If you’ve got really little ones, the kindergym is set up on the grass on Sunday’s Family Day – it’s such a beautiful location & you’ll get a moment’s peace while the kids wear themselves out! There was also Giant Jenga, Connect 4 & Bocce to keep them busy. There’s plenty of room to move around, lots of grassy open spaces. Fonty’s Pool Caravan park also has a brilliant playground – watch out for the mud!
I’d like to thank Truffle Kerfuffle, Genuinely Southern Forests & WA Wilderness Camping for having us over the Truffle Kerfuffle weekend. We had a ball & are already looking forward to next year! Tickets & Accommodation kindly gifted, but all opinions are my own.
