Open for one day only and on one street only! The Unley Gourmet Gala Event features all the food, fashion and entertainment for an excellent day out. Located on the newly developed part of King William Road, things were looking very sharp and more modern than ever which I think encouraged all the vendors to bring their best effort. With 4 entertainment stages and more than 30 food stalls, this is why many gala goers’ visit every year!

There were a few familiar names that we saw contributing to the fun. 50SIXONE with their specialty dessert, Antica Pizza with, well, you’ve guessed it, sensational signature pizza, and introducing Plant B Life with their vegan cheesy nachos. Spice Elephant under the Cinnamon Club group were also offering street food style dishes right outside their restaurant. There were so many options from one end to the other which made the street seem endless.

The evening got even better with the performance of DJ Ruby Chew making the street more alive and vibrant with her melodic harmony and rhythmic groove. This was also a fantastic family event with many children absolutely stoked to see a performance from the extravagant Wizard of Oz. Not to mention multiple dance shows from beautifully diverse cultures which really took our breath away. Flinders Private Hospital also offered a free Kids Zone where you could play street games and take memorable picture in the photo booth.

Our visit to the Unley Gourmet Gala was taken to another level with an invitation to their VIP event inside the Toop & Toop building, their silver sponsor to the gala. We were greeted by the Mayor of Unley himself, Michael Hewitson, and then treated to a delicious variety of beverages and canapés including chicken sandwiches, beef, chicken & vegetable skewers, and my absolute favourite, the grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon. The Mayor then captured our attention with a speech of the courage to do a full revamp on their street. It’s for the good of the community, the people, and the area for hundreds of years to come. They have now planted trees that will cool the area by 10°C so people can actually enjoy the outdoors in summer. King William Rd will be the place to be for meetings, eating, shopping and much more. The more we walked around the street, the more we fell in love with this area.

We have enjoyed every minute of the time spent here and felt a little sad when it was all over. It was amazing being a part of Unley Gourmet Gala’s 20th Celebration and here’s to hoping for a longer Gourmet Gala next year. A 3 day Gala perhaps? Let’s put it to a vote, who’s with me?

Words and Photos by Dee Pene from Adelaide Food Authority