Friday 12 November
Darwin’s Mango Madness Festival kicks off this Saturday, 13 November, as the last of the mangoes are being picked and packed on the farms in preparation.
The event is hosted by the Northern Territory Mango Industry Association and festivities begin at 3pm, at the Darwin Waterfront.
Attendees can look forward to sipping on some refreshing mango beverages from the Mango Bar before the official festival opening at 3.15pm.
This will be followed by the judging of Activate Darwin’s Mango Cup, to find Darwin’s best mango beverage, plus a range of free activities for all ages.
There were 48 entries from 30 competing venues for the 2021 Mango Cup featuring daiquiris, cold brew coffees, seltzers, beers and even Laksa-infused cocktails. More than 1500 votes were submitted, which is nearly double the previous year.
Finalists for this year’s Mango Cup include Honey Gold Caipirinha, Manglaksa from the Loading Bay, Mango Season from Palm Court Bar (Hilton Hotel), Sailor ManGOAT from Cossies Pool Side Bar & Grill and Top End Acharo from Spice Garden.
The judging event will be held from 3.30pm-4.30pm on the main stage at the Waterfront.
The Games, which feature the famously sticky mango-eating competition, invite people to compete in a series of fun activities on the sand, water and land to claim a prize. Winners will be announced at 6.30pm.
Martin Bouchier from Phat Mango will deliver a delicious cooking demonstration at 4.30pm and, if you need to cool off at any point, you can enjoy a refreshing dip at the Tropical Summer Beach. There will be live music running across the festival.
The Mango Madness Festival is proudly supported by the Northern Territory Government through the Community Benefit Fund and Northern Territory Major Events Company, and receives industry support from Perfection Fresh as a Platinum sponsor.
