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The Canberra food festival season is upon us.
Over the past few weekends, food and wine has been flowing from pop-up villages around town.
While the delicacies on offer may vary, the one thing you can count on is the hordes of people waiting to try the goods.
But in a town with a popular and acclaimed range of restaurants and cafes, why do Canberrans become so obsessed with pop-up food stalls?
Kara Herceg, Kaylah Jullienne, Elizabeth Townsend
"We get a bit excited when there is something happening. Like the Multicultural Festival, it's insane. I've never seen so many people. Because there is nothing else to do in Canberra," Ms Herceg said.
Matt Turnbull
"Whenever these events come along everyone jumps on it, the only problem is I don't feel like Canberra actually knows how to cater for the amount of people that attend these things. Every time you go to an event in Canberra, there is always a line," Mr Turnbull said.
Julie Qi
"Because there are many delicious foods and last year I came and I really loved it," Ms Qi said.
It's all about the experience
In recent years, the National Multicultural Festival has unofficially kicked off the pop-up food stall season each February.
But the territory's food frenzy is expanding, a new kid on the block, The Commons Street Food Festival, rolled into town in December last year.
The early start might signal a change in the festival scene in Canberra, but foodies are not complaining.
Now in its 21st year, the National Multicultural Festival recorded 280,000 visitors. That's more than three-quarters of Canberra's population.
Despite the crowds and the long wait times for food, Canberrans do not seem to be deterred from these events, as seen at this week's Night Noodle Markets.
Marketing expert from the Australian National University Andrew Hughes said food had become intrinsically linked to having the "full experience" at local events.
He said a "fear" of missing the experience meant people were willing to wait in long lines for the fare.
"Even though the food is not spectacular, it is not the best made food, it's part of the experience," he said.
"So if you went and did the experience but did not partake in the food, it's like you did not really have the full experience of being there.
"When we see these pop-up events and these restaurants and food outlets where we can try something different, we love them because they are different. It's a new experience for us."
'It's a food adventure'
Mr Hughes said despite the events leaving wallets across Canberra feeling a little lighter, they attracted punters by offering a "food adventure".
"Going to that festival is a food tradition," he said.
"It is the only time of the year you will get the chance to try [so many] foods that are from different parts of the world.
"Your humble food court at your retail outlet in Canberra does not do that same range of food the same way."
Being a small capital city made the events even more attractive to its population.
Mr Hughes said in a small city the events were never too far away, and the festivals did not have to compete with the multitude of events that take place in bigger cities.
"It's a lot harder to achieve in a place like Sydney or Melbourne," he said.
"While the scales on those cities may be bigger, here in Canberra the experience is more intimate. And it is a lot more unique and more diverse.
"We do the outdoor venues really well. We do the experience really well."
Topics: community-and-multicultural-festivals, community-and-society, events, arts-and-entertainment, carnivals-and-festivals, food-and-beverage, canberra-2600