A wet weekend forecast did little to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of long lunch revelers who arrived by the bus load at picturesque Lovedale over the weekend.
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The 2017 Lovedale Long Lunch has been described as a miracle by organiser Hayley Lindsay.
Ms Lindsay was preparing for the worst with the poor weekend forecast, ordering more marquees as late as Friday afternoon.
“It was an absolute hit. A miracle,” she said. “As soon as the gates opened the clouds parted and the sun came out,” she said.
“We cracked the 20,000 visitor mark with well behaved crowds enjoying some great food and wine,” Ms Lindsay said.
The event was held across seven Lovedale vineyards: Allandale, Emma's Cottage Vineyard, Gartelmann, Saltire, Sandalyn Winderness Estate, Tattler and Wandin.
The first Lovedale Long Lunch was held in 1994 with only a few hundred people participating.
Over the years it has grown to be recognised by NSW Tourism as a signature event.