Wine, alpaca and mushrooms

The Southern Highlands holds a series of local food events over the October long weekend, including ‘‘the big alpaca barbecue cook-off’’’ at Hot Canary. The butcher promises to show you how to cook ‘‘this superb, lean meat’’ and offers tastings (Bowral, October 5 from noon). Joadja Vineyards has live music from Nick Rheinberger, who apparently plays a 14-string Indian lap-slide guitar. Have a picnic and taste the new releases (Berrima, October 6 from 1pm). Li-Sun Exotic Mushrooms runs tours of its mushroom tunnel (Mittagong, October 6, 10.30am and 12.30pm, $35), and Bundanoon is the venue for a farmer’s market with local breads, jams, chutneys and the like, as well as crafts and books. Bundanoon Village Hall, October 6, 8.30am-2.30pm. See highlandsfoodiegroup.com.au.