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- 🌞 Gymea Village Festival Weekend: Eat, Sip & Explore Like a Local
🌞 Gymea Village Festival Weekend: Eat, Sip & Explore Like a Local
Legendary affogatos, sweet treats & local spots await!
Janelle Bradley
October 23, 2025
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The sun’s out, the village is buzzing, and the Gymea Village Festival is calling 🌞 Here’s what to check out while you’re wandering the streets:
🌺 Suburb Spotlight: Meet the giant Gymea Lily 🌿
🍝 Fior Restaurant: Italian eats + the must-try affogato ☕
🍫 Nina’s Chocolates: Sweet treats to make your day 🍬
🎉 What’s On: Your weekend fun sorted 🎡
Pack your sunnies, bring your appetite, and enjoy all the local flavour Gymea has to offer!
Let’s get to it.
— Janelle Bradley
Featured Event
Gymea Village Festival
Enjoy a great day of fun, food and entertainment at the Gymea Village Festival
🐄 Looking for a local farmer? Farmer to Fridge connects small family farms directly to consumers. Buying directly from our farmers gives you vastly superior quality (for often the same price), and gives the farmers a better deal than the major supermarkets offer them. Win win! Find your local farmers here.
We’re creating fun, local content on Instagram. Click on the image below to check out our newest guide: Kids Eat Free in the Shire. The kiddos are free every day of the week!
🔦 Suburb Spotlight: Gymea
Home of the Giant Lily
When you think of Gymea, you might picture leafy streets, local cafés and the buzz of the Village Fair — but this suburb’s name actually comes from one of the most remarkable plants in Australia: the Gymea Lily.
Standing up to six metres tall, the Doryanthes excelsa is native to this part of the coast and was known to the Dharawal people as “Kai’Mia,” meaning giant lily.
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The lily is more than just a namesake — it’s a symbol of resilience and renewal. After bushfires, the Gymea Lily springs back to life, sending up a huge red flower that can be seen from afar.
Today, you’ll spot Gymea Lilies woven into the area’s gardens, artwork and even the Sutherland Shire Council logo — a subtle reminder of the suburb’s connection to the land and its creative roots.
Fun Fact: The Gymea Lily only blooms every few years, but when it does, the flower stem grows nearly overnight, shooting upwards more than 10 centimetres a day!
☕️ Café Corner
Fior
If you’re wandering through Gymea this weekend, make time for a stop at Fior, the heart of the village’s dining scene. With its warm Italian hospitality, twinkling lights, and a menu that feels both modern and comforting, Fior has earned its spot as one of Gymea’s most-loved restaurants.
Locals rave about their handmade pasta and woodfired pizzas — but the real star of the show? Their legendary affogato. It’s the perfect pick-me-up: smooth vanilla gelato drowned in a shot of rich espresso (and, if you’re lucky, a dash of Frangelico).
Whether you’re dropping in for a coffee between fair stalls or settling in for dinner, Fior captures everything we love about the Shire’s food scene — relaxed, genuine, and effortlessly delicious.
 Source: Fior Restaurant |  Source: Fior Restaurant |
🏢 Business Brief
Nina’s Chocolates
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, Nina’s Chocolates is a must-visit while you’re in Gymea. Tucked along Gymea Bay Road, this family-run chocolatier has been handcrafting small-batch Belgian-style chocolates for nearly three decades — and locals will tell you they’re nothing short of legendary.
From silky truffles to nut clusters, caramel squares and fruity creams, every piece is made with care (and a whole lot of love). Step inside and you’ll be greeted by the rich scent of cocoa and a glass cabinet that looks more like jewellery than dessert.
It’s the perfect spot to grab a little gift, indulge in something sweet after lunch, or just treat yourself while strolling the village. One visit and you’ll understand why Nina’s has become a Gymea institution.
 Source: Nina’s Chocolates |  Source: Nina’s Chocolates |
📆 Exciting Events On Our Radar
Mark your calendar, go have fun!
🍷 Wynns Wine Dinner | Cronulla RSL |14 Nov | More
Meet the winemakers of Wynns Coonawarra Estate wines, and enjoy a five-course menu paired with carefully selected wines.
🥃 Whisky and Cocktail Event | Bottle Keg Can, Jannali |23 Nov | More
A guided tasting of 3 premium Australian whiskies, and a deep dive into a cocktail for each of the whiskies.
🥃 Ben Buckler Whisky & Cocktail Dinner | Call Me Mamma, Cronulla |25 Nov | More
An exclusive 5 course dinner paired with Ben Buckler Whisky and cocktails. Every person receives a bottle of Ben Buckler Whisky to take home!
Have an event you’d like listed in The Shire Insider? Submit your event HERE
🗓️ What’s On This Week
🍕 Family Food Fest | Sharks at Kareela | October | $60 | More
Monday-Thursday throughout October, make dinner easy. With a jug of soft drink, garlic bread, 2 pizzas of your choice and a creamy boscaiola pasta, it’s everything you need for a hearty mid-week meal.
🧒 Children’s Week in the Shire | Cronulla Central | 24 Oct | More
Meet with local services, connect with community and enjoy free activities for kids, including crafts, interactive plan and free face painting.
🕺 Footloose | Engadine Community Centre | 24 - 26 Oct | More
Full of energy, the 80’s smash hit musical Footloose is brought to the Engadine stage.
🎒 Como West Fest | Como West Public School | 24 Oct
Celebrate 75 years of CWPS with activities and entertainment for the kids, market stalls, food and merchandise. From 5pm - 9pm
🛍️ Thrift Be Told | Stapleton Ave. Community Centre, Sutherland | 25 Oct
Get your premium pre-loved clothes at the final event of the year. 9.30am - 12.30pm
🎃 Fright Night Wrestling | Club Central Menai | 25 Oct | More
Dress up as your favourite wrestler or Halloween character and enjoy an action-packed evening.
🌹 Spring Rose Show | Loftus Community Hall | 25 Oct
Come see this amazing display of roses by some of the best growers in NSW & Australia. Free entry from 12pm - 4pm. Bring your roses for entry to win, and free rose growing advice from consulting rosarians.
🏃 Cronulla 5k SCADaddle | Shelly Beach Park, Cronulla | 25 Oct | More
Join us to raise money for ground-breaking Australian medical research to beat SCAD heart attacks. Walk, skip or run from Shelly Park to Elouera and back.
🍻 Oktoberfest Party | Club Kirrawee | 25 Oct | $25 | More
With one of Germany’s best beers on tap, the best way to partake will be with a traditional stein (first one included in ticket price). Dress up in dirndl or lederhosen and compete for best dressed.
🇯🇲 Bob Marley Tribute Show | Taren Point Hotel | 25 Oct | $30 | More
Come enjoy a combination of classic Bob Marley tracks.
🎪 Gymea Village Festival | Gymea | 26 Oct
Enjoy a great day of fun, food and entertainment at the Gymea Village Festival.
🎃 Halloween Disco | Taren Point Hotel & Engadine Tavern | 26 Oct
From 12-2 at both Taren Point Hotel and Engadine Tavern, enjoy games and dancing and best dressed prizes. Reptile Zoo at Taren Point Hotel as well.
🏍️ Breakfast Torque 2025 | Heathcote Oval, Heathcote | 26 Oct
The annual motorcycle safety expo is back at Heathcote Oval, featuring displays, stalls, music, stunt shows, skills demos and free breakfast for riders. 8am - 11am
🐕️ Greyhound Adoption Event | Don Lucas Reserve, Cronulla | 26 Oct
It’s Howloween time! Greyhounds as Pets NSW is heading to Cronulla for their spooktacular Adoption Event. Over 50 greyhounds looking for loving homes, prizes for best dressed Howloween costumes, kids face painting. 10am - 1pm
🛍️ Caringbah Community Markets | Caringbah | 26 Oct
Monthly Community Markets
❓️ The Inbetweeners Trivia Night | Como Hotel | 28 Oct
Come test how well you know Will, Simon, Jay & Neil, from 7pm.
😆 Meme Street
Thanks for reading the Shire Insider! Hope you have a great weekend! Please share this edition with your best friend!
P.S. Want to get your business or event in front of Shire locals? If you would like to advertise with us or if you want us to feature your events, email us at [email protected]