The 34th annual Porongurup Festival scheduled for this Sunday has been cancelled because of new COVID restrictions capping outdoor crowd sizes.
On Monday, it was announced Level 2 COVID restrictions would be introduced from Thursday.
As part of these new restrictions, all outdoor events have a 2sqm per person rule, with a 500-person capacity limit.
“It’s sad, its very frustrating and sad,” Jingalla Wines owner and Porongurup Festival coordinator Shelley Coad said.
“As at Sunday, we really thought the Government had everything under control, and we would be able to go ahead.”
Ms Coad said the event was usually attended by “up to a couple of thousand people”.
About 400 tickets had already been sold online, which she said would be refunded.
Ms Coad encouraged people who had been planning to go to the festival to follow through with visiting the Porongurup region.
Eight vineyards in the Porongurup area, including Jingalla, Abbey Creek and Mount Trio, will be opening on Sunday for a ‘cellar door trail’.
Food and coffee vendors will be operating from several of the vineyards.
The Porongurup Village Inn, Shop & Tearooms will be hosting markets on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, with an after-party from 6pm.
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