COUNCILLORS will be left to decide whether a travelling night market event will detract from Orange’s annual twilight offerings.
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The Aussie Night Markets, which run regular events in western Sydney, applied to run an event at the Northcourt on May 18 and 19, following an appearance at LithGlow on May 12.
The event is an international food festival, with more than 30 food stalls and trucks, kids’ rides and entertainment, a DJ and boutique retail sales.
According to the report to councillors for Tuesday night, the organiser will also look to include Orange-based food vendors in the event.
However, Orange Region Tourism and the Orange FOOD Week Association wrote letters of objection, saying it would not live up to the region’s food reputation.
ORT general manager Caddie Marshall said the organisation supported events capable of bringing more visitors to Orange and wanted to boost those numbers, but its role was also to represent its members.
“It’s an industry-led, member-based organisation and most of the members are either winemakers, grape growers or food producers,” she said.
“For the past 28 years, they’ve worked really hard to really position Orange as a premium food and wine region and it’s something we’re really proud of and protective of – if we don’t keep that message, that will become diluted.
“People who visit the region go to the farmgate, they go to the cellar door – that’s what people come to the region for.”
Mrs Marshall said ORT did not support the idea of food stalls from Sydney being part of the market because they would not necessarily source their ingredients from the region.
FOOD Week committee chairman James Sweetapple said the night market name risked confusion with the homegrown Banjo Paterson, FOOD Week and Orange Wine Festival night markets, while the Northcourt location risked being mixed up with the Orange Farmers Markets.
“The concern is that people will come along thinking it’s run by us and be horribly disappointed,” he said.
Mr Sweetapple did not believe the event would encourage extra visitation for the wine festival in October.
“Is a donor kebab considered international? That’s the sort of thing they’re serving,” he said.
The Aussie Night Markets did not respond to requests for comment.