The Caxton Street Seafood and Wine Festival is an annual event which was launched in 1994 by the Caxton Street Development Association to promote Caxton Street in historic Petrie Terrace as a significant entertainment precinct that celebrates and promotes Australian music, seafood and wine. It features live music, food and drink from Caxton Street restaurants and cafés, as well as Art Exhibitions and Historical Displays and a dedicated annual Festival Band Competition. By 2012, the Festival attracted more than 15000 patrons. Proceeds from the Street Tickets are donated to various Queensland charities significantly in 2012 to the Wesley Hospital Kim Walters Choices Program. Held traditionally on the Sunday of the Labour Day long weekend, until 2013, the Festival is a promotion of the Queensland Seafood and Wine industries as well as a major Queensland Music Festival. Since its inception in 1994, it has featuring artists such as Russell Crowe and 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, 1927, Boom Crash Opera, The Angels, Gang Gajang, Little Birdy, Grace Knight, Kevin Borich, Kram of Spiderbait, Dukes of Windsor, Calling All Cars, Don Walker, Tyrone Noonan and Diana Anaid plus celebrities from Australian Idol, Big Brother and musical acts from all over Australia playing a variety of music styles. From 2014, it is held on the Queens Birthday long weekend in June. The Caxton Street Seafood Festival is located on Caxton Street, Brisbane only a short 200 m away from Suncorp Stadium and a few minutes from the Brisbane central business district. From 2003 to 2014, Manny Kyriakidis of The Pushworth Group, has produced the event's music programs and 2009–2014, Nichola Burton of Australian Festival Management has managed the annual festival and Sam Kyriakidis of Pressing Issues has been the Publicist. Due to illness, the Pushworth team took a break for 2015 and 2016. In 2011, inspired by the 2010–11 Queensland floods, Queensland Artist, Donna Hawkins, produced a vibrant artwork representation of Caxton Street, Brisbane specifically for the festival. Brisbane's iconic Caxton Street was left high and dry during Queensland's devastating floods that have again affected many parts of this great State. Having raised substantial funds for the Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal in 2011, Caxton Street donated part proceeds from all tickets sold to the Queensland Floods Appeal 2013. While Queenslanders have endured the worst, this natural disaster provides people the opportunity to show their best, and the Caxton Street Seafood & Wine Festival hopes to support those in the face of yet another challenge. The Caxton Street Seafood & Wine Festival continues its long standing relationship with the Wesley Hospital's Prostate Cancer Care program each year as charity partner.
