Thousands of people from around the region descended on Maclean for three-day Clarence Harvest Celebration embracing the beef, sugar cane, and seafood industries of the valley.

The premier weekend of the 2026 celebration followed the Clarence Kids Colour Run and Crowning Carnival and the Cane Harvest Ball, held in the preceding weeks.

Clarence Harvest Celebration President Allira Robison said the committee were ecstatic with the huge success of the 2026 event, after the Cane Harvest Festival was revived in 2025 for the first time in more than 25 years.

She said thousands of people enjoyed brilliant weather with the rain holding off until two hours before the end of Sunday’s Clarence River Fest.

“To have as many people as we did come to all three events our committee are extremely impressed with how the community came out to support us and support the three industries,” she said.

“Overall, it was a huge success.”

The festivities kicked off on Friday afternoon with Beef, Beats, and Eats celebrating the cattle industry.

“The Maclean High School Cattle Show Team came down into Cameron Park, which is something that hasn’t been done before and they impeccably cared for those animals,” Mrs Robison said.

“People could go right up to the animals and pat them, they weren’t in pens they were on harnesses, and the feedback we got was that was something they loved.

“We also had the woodchopping event and the mechanical bull riding event, which was extremely popular and lots of fun for everybody.

“We also had a primary school, high school, and adults’ division in the whip cracking which was popular.

“Entrants were given three attempts, our Cane Harvest Queen Rhianna McMahon entered and in the final it came down to her and her brother who battled it out till the end.”

From 3.30pm the crowds enjoyed music by the Katie Jayne Band, Eli Fahey, and Col Finlay.

An estimated 10,000 people lined River Street for Saturday’s flagship Cane Harvest Festival, as 100 floats gathered for the iconic float parade, almost doubling the 2025 crowd.

“We were blown away with the attendance and everyone we have spoken to said there was easily way more people spectating than last year, the cracking weather on Saturday may have helped,” Mrs Robison said.

“There were around 10,000 people there, they lined the street in rows and rows all the way from the Boulevard to the top of the cenotaph hill…the float parade went for an hour and fifteen minutes and everyone was saying it was absolutely impressive.”

The crowds then browsed stalls, cultural displays, and food trucks while enjoying music by Vanessa Lea and The Road Train, Enns of the Earth, Lily-Grace Grant, and Pistol Whip.

“Vibes were high, people were happy and the community spirit was well and truly alive on Saturday afternoon,” Mrs Robison said.

The celebration culminated on Sunday with the Clarence River Fest from 3pm.

“The amount of people we saw turning up for the third day in a row was absolutely amazing,” Mrs Robison said.

“We kicked that off with music from Adam Hourigan and there were loads and loads of people around as the food trucks began their service.

“Our prawn peeling competition was extremely popular, we had almost 40 entrants and Mark Johnson was the winner, peeling 15 prawns in a minute which were supplied by the Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-Operative.

“Councillor Cristie Yager came third place in the final, she was the only female out of the eight finalists…we encouraged her to get in and have a go, and she was so glad she did.

“It was so nice to see her not only supporting with her attendance, but supporting in participation as well was really great for our community to see.”

Mrs Robison said the 2026 Clarence Harvest Celebration was designed to appeal to a wide range of people across the cane, cattle, and fishing industries, and the committee received great feedback from people who loved the separation of the industries.

The Clarence Harvest Celebration will hold its Annual General Meeting next month when planning begins for 2027.

“By all accounts next year will look very similar,” Mrs Robison said.

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 12 June 2026.