Australians descended on North Bondi on the first weekend of summer for a true celebration of the nation’s favourite fruit: mangoes!
Held in partnership with North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, Aussie Mangoes’ iconic annual event (now in its seventh year), Mess-tival, saw thousands of people come together to mark the peak of mango season, with mango covered smiles and sticky fingers.
Mess-tival also debuted a marriage of two Australian icons, with the official launch of the Australian Mangoes’ limited edition Budgy Smugglers - with attendees modelling the very special edition togs at the event!
Offering a host of fun for mango-lovers, the popular mango eating competitions returned, and visitors were treated with delicious mango cheeks and bicycle-powered smoothies all morning long. Down on the sand, the nippers took part in further mango madness with relay races.
Mango growers from around the country shared their delicious produce at mango stalls where attendees were able to learn about growing and harvesting, whilst taste-testing different varieties of mangoes, including: Kensington Pride, Calypso, R2E2 and Honey Gold.
Mango-lovers were treated to intricate mango flower carving throughout the morning. Also on offer were juicy, grilled mango cheeks, available at the BBQ station, and a social media photobooth where people could show off the brand new mango emoji!
Whilst Mess-tival allows Aussie mango lovers to celebrate the king of summer fruits, it’s also an opportunity to raise-much needed funds for North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. This year, Mess-tival helped raise over $15,000, contributing to a grand total to-date of over $100,000, over the past 7 years – which will go towards life-saving equipment and important training resources.
Commenting on the event, CEO of the Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA), Robert Gray said: “We’ve had an amazing day at Mess-tival with thousands of mango lovers celebrating the peak of the season! High quality mangoes packed with flavour are currently in great abundance right now across the nation, for Aussies to enjoy. ”
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