While it’s true we may not experience the pleasures of snow crunching underfoot or the intense changing of the seasons like our Northern Hemisphere neighbours, that certainly won’t stop Southern Queensland Country from bringing the inaugural Autumn on James event to Fortitude Valley. The shopping precinct will transform into an autumnal wonderland this weekend, with deciduous trees and seasonal produce being plonked down the main drag from March 14–16.

Farm-gate stalls will operate across the three days, with bountiful carts encouraging shoppers to pay using the country’s charming ‘honesty system’. Saturday will see the choicest pickings from the Granite Belt, Southern Downs, Toowoomba, the Darling Downs, South Burnett and the Western Country tempting shoppers at the pop-up farmers market between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Swan over to James St Market from 11:00 am to watch Destination Flavour host and former Masterchef winner Adam Liaw collaborate with James St Cooking School to run a series of free cooking demonstrations at the Perfectly Seasoned Cooking School. Cru Bar + Cellar will also be hosting wine tastings from 2:00–4:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. As the weekend comes to a close, if all that country cheer has tired you out, you can avoid kitchen duties with a big community barbecue of free-range Granite Belt pork at Gerard’s Bistro on Sunday afternoon. Browse the full festival program online.