People were able to enjoy major events in the Dandenong Ranges once again in 2022 after two years of cancellations and disruptions.
Here are some of the standout events of the year.
Triumphant return for Halloween On The Green
The Philanthropic Collective saw close to 5,000 costume-clad patrons make a trip to Ferny Creek Reserve for Halloween On The Green (HOTG) on Sunday 30 October.
It was a triumphant return after a two-year hiatus, with a partnership with B-Alternative involved in the event and all meals on the day served on reusable vessels made from compostable rice husks to reduce waste and the event’s carbon footprint.
Highlights included rock royalty, Dave Graney and Clare Moore hitting the main stage along with hills favorites, Charlie Bedford, and local legends Daisy West. Fletchers and Bendigo Bank hosted the best dressed competition with over 10K of prizes on offer with winners announced by James Merlino MP.
Event Director and festival creator, Andrew Fillip-Gautier said “mother nature heard our call and came out to shine after the proceeding two weeks were fraught with rain”.
“Over 160 volunteers came through the site on the day while just about all vendors sold out. We introduced a waste management system which saved 460kg of wastage from landfill on the day, something we should all be extremely proud of,” Mr Fillip-Gautier said.
Kabloom Festival stuns
Tesselaar Kabloom’s Festival Of Flowers in Silvan drew in 70,000 visitors in 2022 after two years of cancellations, displaying around 300,000 plants including marigolds, sunflowers and snapdragons.
The festival also won gold in the Victorian Tourism Awards’ major festivals and events category at a ceremony in December, beating out the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
“Once you get inside the gates, you experience a totally different utopian world, because we’ve got the fields full of colour, have some special entertainment… the crux of it is is giving them the opportunity to come and enjoy nature and all the special area up here has to offer,” festival director Paul Tesselaar told the Star Mail in December.
Circus entertainment was a main focus at the festival, with food trucks, face painting and treasure hunts among the activities.
The next Kabloom Festival will be held between 25 March and 25 April in 2023.
SelbyFest 2022 a huge success
Selby Community House’s SelbyFest drew a crowd of over 1000 attendees in 2022, showcasing an exciting music lineup with entertainment offered by local musicians and buskers throughout the afternoon on Saturday 26 November.
Local radio station 3MDR took over music programming on an outside music stage and within Selby Community House.
The festival buzzed with activities, with over 30 diverse stallholders and community organisations lining the road and situated throughout Selby Community House. The kids activities were popular including robotics delivered by the Belgrave Library, the local Police mingled with festival goers, the local church offered cup cakes for decoration and the community interacted with environmental groups, wellbeing, arts, crafts and a very special butterfly house.
Selby Community House and 3MDR gratefully acknowledge Yarra Ranges Council who provided a large community events grant which supported delivery of a fun filled event.
As a way to enjoy the environment, walks were offered through Minak Reserve, and an activity was offered in the Indigenous bushfoods garden.
The Wild Playground featuring its own mega wombat, or diprotodon, was a hit with kids.
Combo Keg served drinks in the afternoon and “Green My Plate” cleaned up the re-used plates and cutlery to reduce the festivals footprint and support sustainability.
SelbyFest 2023 will be on again around the same time next year.
Locals celebrate webbed-footed friends
Over 300 people attended Southern Dandenong’s Landcare Group’s Platypus Festival at Belgrave Lake Park on Saturday 8 October, after cancellations in 2020 and 2021.
The festival looks to bring awareness to the species, which is present in Monbulk Creek and is a species in decline.
According to Vinnie Aulich, Environmental Volunteer and Project Support Officer at Yarra Ranges Council, their habitat has shrunk by at least 22 per cent in the last 30 years.
With Aunty Joy conducting a welcome to country at the festival, Troy Charles entertained the crowd with music and Melbourne Water holding interactive stalls alongside wildlife education business Blacksnake Productions.
A tree planting was led by Yarra Ranges Council and the Southern Dandenongs Landcare Group, with president Rob Pergl leading a site walk to talk about habitat and the history of Belgrave Lake Park.
