The crowd - 126 up on last year - came to taste local wines as well as beer and soft drinks and enjoy the food, music and sunshine.

Weather was mild as the temperature reached a high of 24.8 degrees mid-afternoon.

Festival chairman Derek Blackwell said the weather contributed to the large numbers, along with good advertising, a range of stalls and good music.

People enjoyed non-stop music from 11am until 6.30pm from acts such as Calamari for Breakfast, Little Black Dress, The Mechanics, Tenor’s Elbow and Nigel Fosdike with Penny Burke and Georgie Shortt.

The festival committee provided more children’s activities and 267 children under 16 took part.

Entertainment ranged from face painting to poetry reading by local writer Mike Riddle.

Mr Blackwell said: “The last two years in a row, there’s been a conscious decision to make it more kid friendly.

“It was great that the Year of the Farmer Road show had a kiddy section.”

The committee had extra clowns and a free fruit giveaway and made shade and seating readily available for everyone.

Many people made comments to Mr Blackwell, saying “it was the best atmosphere they could remember”.

There were large numbers of people at the event earlier in the day, while in the past, big crowds came from 2pm onwards.

“There was a really positive feeling near the start and there were a lot more in there early,” Mr Blackwell said.

Festival committee treasurer Mark King said: “It was great to have that back stage for people to come up and listen.”

The back stage was used by many people who wanted to escape the busy-ness down the other end of the square.

“It might be a little bit under-rated but they go up there for a relaxing afternoon,” he said.

Twenty-six stalls provided wine, beer and food.

Naracoorte Lions Club, Soroptimists, Naracoorte United Soccer Club, Robe Lions Club, Naracoorte Scouts and Naracoorte Rotary Club put hours of voluntary work into the event.

Along with the main event on Saturday, more than 130 golfers played in the Taste ambrose golf on Friday.

Naracoorte Racing Club’s Calcutta and the Kindergarten Film Show on Friday evening received good numbers.

And the Naracoorte Cup at the racecourse on Sunday drew a huge crowd.

All profits from the Taste Festival will be donated to the CT scan project.