Carnivale 2012 has come to a close and there have been many talking points to come out of the region's biggest festival. Today we ask what the highlights for 2012 have been.

Sam Cullen - tourismportdouglas.com.au

Fiona O'Loughlin's stand-in stand-ups, Mikey Robins and Bev Killick, brought the house (Sugar Wharf) down last Thursday night with performances that left most gasping for air and in tears.

The 200 strong audience filled the Old Sugar Wharf making for a remarkable comedy club scene. The event was a fantastic success for the Carnivale  Club which is a new concept in the event line up for Carnivale. 

The stand out moment for this audience member was the local comedian's joke about how after paying $5,000 for a Status Plus microwave the exorbitant price was justified when he placed an egg into it and after 5 minutes produced a roast chicken!

Maybe you just had to be there.

A must do in next year's Carnivale line up. Congratulations to organiser Claire Tierney and all involved.

Kerry Larsen - The Newsport

The Seafood Extravaganza (this year held on Sunday May 20) always turns on the best quality seafood and this year’s event was no exception.

The local restaurants which took part made a real effort to dress up their stalls and provided excellent seafood and service, while the live music from a floating stage in the marina waters and the perfect weather had everyone in a tropical and relaxed mood.

Nick Gibson - Radio Port Douglas

My Carnivale started off with the arrival of six of my best mates to join in the festivities also also celebrate my birthday – it was always gonna be a beauty!

The re-shuffle of events made it hard for me to recommend which weekend they should be here for but the choice for the first weekend proved gold as the street parade was washed away!

The Food & Wine Festival met with a few hiccups but I remember dancing the night away to great entertainment and indulging in some serious male bonding.

Being the birthday boy I was shouted drinks all night and spent no time in queues so I had an absolute blast!

The Seafood Festival on the Sunday was also an enjoyable arvo and very much a wind down from some hard core partying. Come Monday I would normally have put the cue in the rack but Dave ‘OO’ Evans and Claire ‘Bear’ Tierney had me on the panel for the inaugural ‘Battle of the Sports’.

For a debut event it was lots of fun and the concept was very original – let’s hope it gathers more steam in the next few years.

The Family Beach Day was fun for the whole family (funny that) and it was refreshing to relax whilst the kids had something to do and not have some form of alcoholic beverage in my hand.

Carnivale is great and bring on next year!

Footnote – Food (and wine) for thought - Put the Street Parade back to the first Friday followed by the Food & Wine Festival and Seafood Extravaganza, a party goers haven weekend.

Claire Tierney had a mid-week of great events at the Sugar Wharf – don’t change this. Make the second weekend the more family oriented one with the beach days and triathlons etc.

Tell my mates I don’t wanna see them for at least another three years...

Roy Weavers - Publisher, Port Douglas Magazine

Even the threat of a wet and windy weekend couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the local population for my favourite part of Carnivale this year. 

My highlight as in previous years was the second weekend Carnivale Family Beach Day.  The Beach Cricket with prize money for the first time brought out the traditional Aussie spirit showing no mercy to the children and no prisoners taken as bowling were smashed into the sea and kicked up sand in the face blamed for dropped catches. 

Talking of sand, the sand castle competition is just the best excuse for all Dads and some Mums to show off their creative side to their offspring with shouts of 'don't touch' and 'get off' ringing clearly across the arena. 

These warm close-knit family interactions are only drowned out by the arrival of the sky divers followed closley by their host Skysafari helicopter.  If ever there was a way to attract a crowd it's land a helicopter on the beach, it's so exciting and the engine noise is just breathtaking! 

All the activity on the beach is perfectly framed off shore with a backdrop of yachts competing for the Exemplar Clipper Cup racing like toy boats far out across the Coral Sea in full sail.  

Up on the Esplanade there is always a mass of activity with sausage sizzles, charity stalls and of course face painting in great demand.  The fun atmosphere emanates across Four Mile Beach and smiling starts to hurt after the first hour but you just can't stop.
 
If you could bottle the fantastic community atmosphere of a Carnivale Family Beach Day, Port Douglas and its surrounding region would take about two weeks to get back to its former glories. 

The warm, generous attitude that exudes from both adults and children alike is quite something to savour even if only for one day a year!

Now it's over to you. What were your Carnivale highlights, and what would you like to see in 2013? Have your say below.