Orange has 10 million reasons to smile with FOOD Week organisers reflecting on a "fantastic" opening to the long-running festival.
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The 33rd edition of the food and wine festival kicked off on March 24 with the night markets and while wet weather forced a last-minute venue change, the crowds still turned up.
Orange 360 general manager Ned Sweetapple said it had been a strong start as the festival continues to bounce back from COVID-affected years.
"We are very happy with it," she said.
"I think the night markets were certainly great. Outdoor events are always tricky although autumn is usually pretty stable. But everyone moved pretty quickly and the feedback was good.
"We still got a crowd of around 2500-3000 people which was fantastic."
FOOD Week committee president Charlotte Gundry said 2022 figures showed the event generated around $8 million to $10 million for the region.
"That's not just dining, it's all the little things like going to shops, supermarkets, chemists," she said.
"People go to these events but they'll also pop down the street to grab a coffee."
Ms Sweetapple said hotel occupancy usually rose from about 40 per cent to 70 per cent during FOOD Week.
She said the event provided a focus point for producers to promote their product and also gave a stage to flood-affected communities.
"It gives us a real point of focus," she said.
"It's great for the industry as well because they can come and work together. It creates a real buzz around town.
"It's been a really strong attractor of visitors. It activates and engages the food and tourism sector.
"It's a great event to attract people but also it creates a great tool for marketing so we can use it to tell our story.
"One of Orange 360's aims is to get people to stay a little bit longer and spend more money across the region, including Cabonne and Blayney.
"They've had a terrible time. But particularly in Molong who are starting to reopen businesses, there's more positivity around.
"We also have the Long White Lunch in Cumnock which is sold out."
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