Kalorama Chestnut Festival

The Kalorama Chestnut Festival is a beloved Dandenong Ranges community event that has been running for over 30 years.

Come with your friends and family and enjoy all things chestnut with food and festivities planned throughout the day.

The Festival has been running for over 30 years and has become a local institution. It’s a much-loved family day out for the local community and visitors seeking a taste of autumn in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges.

Behind the Festival is a dedicated group of Mount Dandy parents, caregivers, and educators who are passionate about our kids and community. They volunteer their time to pick, sort, and roast chestnuts, coordinate stalls and entertainment, seek sponsors, spread the word, and do all the other things involved in running a festival!

Each year, a new generation of local families takes the reins, lovingly carrying on the Chestnut Festival traditions and introducing just a hint of something new.

When you attend, explore the diverse range of stalls showcasing locally made handicrafts and produce:

• Delicious roasted chestnuts
• Poffertjes
• Homemade cakes
• Sausage sizzle
• Local restaurant food stalls
• Mulled wine
• Coffee, tea and chai
• Local handmade crafts
• Local produce

At the heart of the Festival is the chestnut itself – a humble and underutilised nut that can be found in abundant supply throughout the Hills. Chestnuts have been grown in Australia for over 100 years. They are synonymous with autumn for the Hills community – the familiar smell of roadside chestnut roasting stalls is a special reminder of the changing seasons.

Local families come together each year for picking days, where everyone trudges out to a local chestnut farm and collects this year’s harvest. This is followed up by another fun night (for parents only!) where we peel these notoriously tricky – and prickly – little things! The power of this humble nut to bring the community together is something to behold.

So come up to Mt Dandenong for this unique autumn event and then stay for dinner. Dress warmly, as it can get cold during the evenings and let the chestnuts and the mulled wine keep you warm!

Free Family Entertainment

The Kalorama Chestnut Festival celebrates local talent featuring live music, performers, and family entertainment.

Getting to the Kalorama Chestnut Festival

The Kalorama Chestnut Festival is held at Kalorama Memorial Reserve, Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Kalorama, VIC.

There are approximately 100 car parks available on site. The Ferny Creek Club Scouts manage parking around the oval on the day and charge $5 per car, with proceeds going to the Scouts.

Limited parking is available along Mount Dandenong Tourist Road and the surrounding streets. When you snag a parking spot, please respect the neighbours and avoid parking in, over, or opposite driveways.

Below are the most common ways to get there from the Melbourne CBD.

Driving Directions (about 45 minutes, ~40 km)

• Start in the Melbourne CBD and head east on the Eastern Freeway (M3).
• Take the Springvale Road exit and turn left (north).
• Turn right onto Canterbury Road.
• Continue east and turn left onto Mount Dandenong Tourist Road (C415).
• Follow Mount Dandenong Tourist Road up into the Dandenong Ranges.
• Continue through Montrose and toward Kalorama.
• The reserve will be on the left side of Mount Dandenong Tourist Road in Kalorama.

Public Transport Directions (about 1 hr 45 min)

• From the CBD, take a Lilydale line train from Flinders Street Station or any of the city loop stations.
• Ride the train to Croydon Station.
• From Croydon Station, catch Bus 688 toward Upper Ferntree Gully.
• Get off at Kalorama Park Lookout / Mount Dandenong Tourist Road.
• Walk about 1 minute to Kalorama Memorial Reserve.