Hungry for glory: pie-eating contest fires up Eat the Street

A PIE eating contest with a Mini Munchers division for kids and a champion chomp-off for adults will be one of the highlights of the Lismore Eat the Street food festival.

The Lismore Pie Cart and Annie’s Country Bakery at Modanville are sponsoring the event, which will be held on Saturday 15 November.

“It’s the first time I can remember us having something like this since I’ve been involved,” Lismore Pie Cart manager Jeremy Milosevic said.

“My advice is to just tear into it like a hot chook.”

Norco has taken on the naming rights of the festival, with support from the state government’s Vibrant Streets Package, seeing the event return for the first time in four years.

The event will showcase a range of regional offerings on Keen Street, with almost 40 food traders and 14 local drink suppliers set to feature in the Quad Bar area.

There will be everything from barbecue meats to Asian-inspired dishes, Mexican favourites, Italian classics, vegetarian delights and decadent desserts.

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said there was a strong focus on supporting local businesses again this year.

“We’ve given priority to traders within the 2480 postcode, ensuring local cafés, producers and hospitality businesses have a strong presence at the event,” he said.

“Alongside the vendors in the festival area, many of our CBD businesses will be open and trading from their shopfronts, so it’s a great opportunity to explore everything our city centre has to offer.”

Other live entertainment includes the barista competition, waiters’ race, live music at the Planet Music Show and music in the Quad curated by Holiday Maker Records.

“We’ve worked hard to make sure there’s something for everyone, whether you’re after a quick bite, a sweet treat or a relaxed drink with friends in the Quad Bar,” Krieg said.

There will be a reusable cup system, with cups collected and washed on-site to reduce waste and keep the festival environmentally friendly.

The full list of food and beverage options are available at visitlismore.com.au/eatthestreet