COWBOY-hatted party folk embraced the Carnivale theme and brought "the country to the coast" in style at the weekend as the annual celebration of all things Port Douglas came to a close.

More than 2200 guests – from saloon girls and rhinestone cowboys to an Indian chief – ate, drank and mingled at the popular Food, Wine and a Taste of Port event on Saturday night, with country stars The McClymont Sisters setting the mood.

"Everyone was in costume – we had cowboys and cowgirls running around the place all night," Trinity Auto Reef and Rainforest Carnivale spokeswoman Natasha Riedel said.

"It was a great opportunity for everyone to find their bootscootin’ clothes."

Event organiser Donna Anderson said the food was even better than last year, while the weather was perfect and the crowd "really great".

Port Douglas and Daintree Tourism executive officer Doug Ryan said the festival capped off a great Carnivale which had definitely been "the best ever".

Ms Riedel said the surprise success story of the weekend had been the No Limit Texas Hold’em poker championships at the Central Hotel, with about 300 players on each of the days and excitement building before the final showdown at 4pm today.

"The prizes are fantastic; overseas holidays, cash, and entry to a $2000 purse seat at an international poker tournament in the Northern Mariana Islands," she said.

"And Texas Hold’em is the easiest form of poker to play.

"You don’t have to be a great professional card-player – a lot of it is luck."

Hundreds of people also attended yesterday’s Seafood Extravaganza at the Marina Mirage and inspected entries in the Sheraton Mirage Art Prize, the richest regional art competition in Queensland with the main $7000 prize won by local painter Claudine Marzikl.

Share this article