By: Hannah Collins

Click the image to view more photos [Photo: Stuart Blythe]

The day is hot, the patrons at the ready. The tents are up and the beers are flowing. Every morsel of seafood in the region has been iced, packed and shipped over to Caxton Street, for Brisbane’s annual Caxton St Seafood Festival. Founded as a small community event in 1994, the modern emancipation has become well known institution, and attracts supporters in their 10’s of thousands each year. One street, 12 Venue’s, 3 stages, 27 bands, and prawns, octopus and scallops as far as the eye can see. By late afternoon, the sun is still high in the sky and the day is surprisingly warm for Early April. Caxton Street has been quartered off, and it’s shoulder to shoulder once through the gates. The smells of sauté and marinade float through the air,

sizzles from nearby open grills can be heard as you wander down the street. You can’t walk 20 paces without coming across a food stall of some description. There’s prawn skewers and fish kebabs, oysters in the shell and Moreton bay bugs. Every third person has food in their hands and you’ll find that nearby every food stall, there’s a place to grab a cold drink to wash it down with.

The chatter overwhelms… as you peruse your surroundings and take in the sights, the murmur of the crowds is the only thing you can hear above the sound of live music. With three stages… you won’t miss a beat.

Gambaro’s, situated at the centre of the commotion is the most prominent venue to be found. The restaurant; converted into a dance floor with not a table in sight. Cartel, Hotel La, and the Caxton Hotel have all followed suit. Rearranging the inside of the venue’s to maximize space.

Mental As Anything play on the Hale St stage, funky and uplifting. The audience sings along. What a lovely atmosphere the day has brought!

Punters young and old stand side by side, soaking up the festivities that our wonderful city can produce. There’s many a youngster grooving away, in between the food stalls and colorful flagged backdrops. I even see an older lady dancing later in the day as she stands, front of stage for Powerplay, showcasing their rock inspired beats. This is one lady, who’s thoroughly enjoyed her day!

All are well behaved, and with the ever looming presence of our lustrous QLD Police force, the day goes off without a hitch.

We see Dianna Anaid, Family of Strangers and The Belligerents, in between missions to find more food. And top up with a beer or two.

If you’ve never frequented Caxton Street on the day of the festival, it’s a must see! So get down there next year, for another day of live music, food and most of all, fun!