This time last year, I was having a burger off with fellow Perth food blogger Eats Meet West on stage at the Light up Leederville Carnival. It was so much fun and both our burgers were added to Jus Burgers menu for a week 
read my burger off post here. We had junior burger with us and loved that it was so family friendly. There was plenty to eat and plenty of room to move, during the day anyway.
My writer Tania went to the 2015 Light up Leederville Carnival launch last week and tasted some of the food which will be on offer. Read on for more details!
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Leederville has always seemed like the sleepy cousin to more vibrant suburbs, but the urban village is starting to awaken from its slumber with myriad street art showcased around the easily accessed skate park and laneways, a new nature reserve with playground, an amazingly realistic giant mural outside Luna Cinemas and different types of cafes and restaurants opening up.
For the fourth year running, local residents and businesses have come together to present the Light Up Leederville Carnival on Sunday 6th December from 12pm to 9pm. 2015 is the first year the day will be powered solely by renewable energy which could also be an Australian first. The carnival is a way of encouraging visitors to experience the suburb’s metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. The Leederville Connect Committee hope to persuade people to spend the day by organising entertainment of live performers and DJ’s, offering rides for the kids, setting up 200 market stalls, and enticing families to sample the local food and drinks on offer. Be sure to check for road closures and, as parking will be limited, taking the train might be a better option.
I was lucky enough to sample some of the dishes ahead of time. Mayor John Carey officially opened the Light up Leederville Carnival at an open-air long table street feast in the piazza outside Duende.
The degustation-style launch lunch I attended featured beef and chicken satay sticks with spicy peanut sauce from Low Key Chow House. With loads of flavor and not overly spicy, they were easily the most popular dish, disappearing within minutes. I highly recommend you sample them at the carnival.
If you prefer a rice dish then Pinchos Carnival Paella is a tasty choice. Chorizo and chicken blend beautifully with parsley and lemon, tantalising the tongue and left me feeling pleasantly full.
My personal favorite was the sweet, juicy tiger prawns from Sweet Lips. We were treated to Prawn Cocktails with a bit of a spicy kick to the sauce, but on the day of the carnival they will be selling, grilled tiger prawns with garlic butter or Thai chilli jam. If they use fresh Exmouth Prawns like the ones they served at the lunch, then no matter what sauce accompanies them, they will be delicious.
I washed my meal down with an ‘apo / stro / phe stone’s throw’ Riesling. Very smooth and an excellent accompaniment to the dishes. There will be an array of wines to taste from Larry Cherubino Wines, if you are so inclined.
Mexican dips, curry, dessert pizzas and a pig on a spit are some of the other food you can choose to nibble on while you soak up the atmosphere.
There will be room to roam in the family friendly streets, which caters for all ages, so bring your prams or your parents (or both), enter the competitions to win a holiday or diamond pendant, then relax and enjoy the fireworks which culminate in a crimson chrysanthemum.
Leederville is going through a rebirth and you don’t want to miss it. Take a sneak peak this Sunday and you’ll be sure to come back.
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About Tania
Tania Connolly is a freelance writer who has been published in a variety of magazines including offspring, Caravan World and Australian Family. Her passions are talking to interesting people, eating tasty food and enjoying Perth summers. A combination of all three is magic.
