Kilsyth Festival

The Kilsyth Festival is a family-friendly event that takes place for one day each November at the Elizabeth Bridge Reserve.

Formerly known as the Chelodina Festival, this free festival is open to all ages. There will be lots of delicious food plus market stalls for your Christmas shopping.

Organized by the Kilsyth Community Action Group and the Friends of Elizabeth Bridge Reserve, the festival seeks to engage the local community by creating an event filled with activities for all ages to enjoy outdoors. The festival also aims to promote sustainable activities and businesses around the Yarra Ranges, encouraging visitors to shop and eat locally.

Over forty stalls will offer everything from crafts to education, including a ‘How to Compost’ workshop to active involvement and the chance to pick up an early pre-Christmas bargain along the way.

Japara also welcomes Festival patrons to the Elizabeth Bridge house and gardens, where there will be pony rides, tile decorating and painting, a free food market by the Montrose Community Cupboard and a 100-mile foodie cooking demonstration.

Meanwhile, on the performance entertainment front, the fabulous Ruccis Circus group will perform their daring aerial act, and the ‘Showtime Spectacular’ centre stage will feature talented local artists, choristers and dancers. West African drummer, Kofi, returns by popular demand.

A wildlife display will allow us to touch and hold a wide range of animals and learn more about our fauna, and there will again be the popular dog club demonstration.

The committee is especially pleased with the increased participation of Japara Living and Learning Centre. For the first time, the Festival will incorporate a Wool & Handicrafts Fair, which will be held at Japara, just across the road from the Reserve.

The Elizabeth Bridge Reserve is at 50 Durham Road in Kilsyth, Victoria. Admission to the Kilsyth Festival is free for all ages.