Annual Events Program

Celebrate the art of homemade culinary creations at the Darebin Homemade Food & Wine Festival! Featuring tours, workshops, bake-offs and curated markets, this annual event taps into the traditions of sustainable food practices amongst the culturally rich residents of Melbourne’s inner north.

Whether you want to sample local creations, expand your cooking repertoire, make your own wine or take a tour, you will find something delicious to suit your culinary needs.

View the full program here!

Darebin Libraries

The following Darebin Libraries activities are suitable for children aged 5 to 12 years unless otherwise specified.

 

Make a lantern
When: Monday 1 July
Time: 3pm – 4pm
Location: Fairfield Library
Booking: Book online or call 1300 655 355.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

Make a lantern and enjoy a guided evening stroll by lantern light followed by hot chocolate
When: Thursday 4 July
Time: 6.30pm – 8pm
Location: Preston Library
Booking: Book online or call 1300 655 355.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

An interactive ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ puppet show
When: Tuesday 2 July
Time: 3pm – 4pm
Location: Reservoir Library
Booking: Book online or call 1300 655 355.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

Join us to celebrate NAIDOC Week with stories and craft
When: Wednesday 10 July
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
Location: Northcote Library
Booking: Book online or call 1300 655 355.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential
Suitable for 8–12 years olds.

Make a pom-pom for the NAIDOC Week yarnbomb installation
When: Friday 5 July
Time: 10.30 –11.30am
Location: Northcote Library
Booking: Book online or call 1300 655 355.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

When: Monday 8 July
Time: 3 – 4pm
Location: Reservoir Library
Booking: Book online or call 1300 655 355.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

Learn about Aboriginal artefacts and traditional string making
When: Thursday 11 July
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
Location: Preston Library
Booking: Book online or call 1300 655 355.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

 

Darebin Arts Centre

Location: Cnr Bell St & St Georges Rd, Preston VIC 3072
P: 8470 8282

I See You Like This 
By Jessica Wilson with Matilda Woodroofe and Carla Gottgens
When: Saturday 13 July 2019, at 15 minute intervals, Sunday 14 July 2019, at 15 minute intervals
Location: Darebin Arts Centre Foyer
Bookings: Darebin Arts website
Cost: $44 per couple (adult and child).
Suitable for ages five and up.

On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July, Darebin Arts Centre foyer will be taken over by an interactive art experience where children can direct a professional photographic portrait of their chosen adult.

With our ever-growing desire to document each moment of our lives, children often become the reluctant subject of their parent’s camera. I See You Like This turns the camera around, allowing children to view their adult as the subject through the lens of their own imagination.

Created by Jessica Wilson with designer Matilda Woodroofe and photographer Carla Gottgens, I See You Like This celebrates the fascinating relationship between parent and child.

In this intimate, surprising and fun activity, children are given permission to observe and portray their parent or adult, before art directing a creative portrait using their face as the canvas! Each bizarre and beautiful artwork is captured by a professional photographer in a special studio and can be taken home to enjoy.

I See You Like This was developed through Artplay’s New Ideas Lab in 2016. It has since played at the Arts Centre Melbourne, at Taste of Tasmania and internationally at the Westwind Festival in Cologne, Germany. In 2019 it will undertake a season at Krokus Festival in Belgium.

 

East Preston Community Centre

Location: 7 Newton Street, Reservoir 3073
P: 8470 8107
E: epcc@darebin.vic.gov.au

Please note that parents/guardians must supervise children at all times during the school holiday activities held at the East Preston Community Centre.

Sam Starr's circus class
When: Friday 5 July
Time: 10am –  11.15am (children 5 and under)
          11.30am –  12.30pm (children 6 and over)
Booking: Call 8470 8107 or email epcc@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

Classes will explore the physical concepts and disciplines that go in to learning circus tricks. Sam will be on site to give you expert advice and teach you nifty tricks that are simple, and look amazing. There’ll be plenty of fun to be had with things like juggling, plate spinning and hoola hooping.

Native animal art workshop
When: Monday 1 July
Time: 9.30am –  11.30am
Booking: Call 8470 8107 or email epcc@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cost: Free - Bookings essential
Suitable for primary school aged children.

Join Meg for a native animal art workshop these school holidays. You can join in on the fun and help create a scribble mural incorporating drawings of our much loved Australian animals. Or, you can use recycled cardboard to make your own creatures using colourful paints, which will be hung from the ceiling.

Journey to Africa
When: Wednesday 3 July
Time: 10am - 11am
Booking: Call 8470 8107 or email epcc@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cost: Free - Bookings essential
Suitable for primary school aged children.

Run by The Knowing Project and Lamine Sonko, Journey to Africa is a captivating and

interactive experience of African drumming, music and stories. The session teaches children basic drumming patterns, songs and includes stories from Africa that share important messages of belonging, sharing and working together.

Dreamer in the deep
When: Monday 8 July
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
Booking:Call 8470 8107 or email epcc@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cost: Free - Bookings essential
Suitable for children up to 15 years of age and is enjoyed by mature audiences.

In this family puppet GLOW IN THE DARK theatre performance, Dreamer descends into the depths of the ocean! With a sea horse as a guide and travelling companion, Dreamer, in search of a friend, travels to the seaweed forests in the temperate seas, to the bottom of the ocean in a submarine and to the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef. In Dreamer in the Deep we observe sea life in all its diversity and wonder. We even meet an accordion playing crab and his aspiring opera singer cleaning shrimp! If you're feeling inspired after the puppet performance, we'll have an art and craft activity table set up where you can have a go at making your very own puppets.

 

Darebin Intercultural Centre

59A Roseberry Avenue, Preston

Please note that parents/guardians must supervise children at all times during the school holiday activities held at the Darebin Intercultural Centre. 
The Centre is access friendly.

French themed movie and munch
Date: Tuesday 2 July 
Time: 10am – 1pm
Location: Pearl Room, First Floor, Intercultural Centre
Bookings: Book online here
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

Please join us for a French themed experience as we join a little Rat named Remy in the film ‘Ratatouille’

Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely, and certainly unwanted, visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy’s passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

It wouldn’t be fair for you to leave on an empty stomach, and what’s more French than a croissant? After the film we will have a table of croissants with lots of different fillings for you to feast on. There will be French themed craft activities too!

Traditional Aboriginal games and fun entertainment
Date: Thursday 4 July
Time: 11am to 12pm 
Location: Preston Shire Hall, 286 Gower Street, Preston
Bookings: Book online here
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

Spark Health are teaming up with Darebin City Council to bring you a morning of Traditional Aboriginal Games and Health Entertainment! You can try your luck at a game of Weet Weet (a Traditional Aboriginal Game), blend a Maccas meal to catch out the sneaky ingredients and create your own superhero. Wear comfy clothes and shoes to get moving in.

Kids No Lights No Lycra with an intercultural twist
Date: Thursday 11 July
Time: 10am – 10.45am (2 – 5 year olds)
    11am – 12pm (6 – 10 year olds) 
Location: Pearl Room, First Floor, Intercultural Centre 
Bookings: Book online here
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

This special edition of 'No Lights No Lycra' will allow children to develop confidence by improvising their own style of movement in a safe environment. Under fun disco lights, they can dance without inhibition to a diverse range of music from many different languages and cultures of Darebin. Refreshments provided.

 

Keon Park Children’s Hub

Location: 1-7 Dole Avenue, Reservoir 3073
P: 8470 8022 E: keonpark.childrenshub@darebin.vic.gov.au

Movie time: Zootopia (PG)
Date: Friday 5 July 2019
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: Multi-use Room, Keon Park Children’s Hub
Bookings: Book online or call 8470 8022.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential
Suitable for children aged seven years and older. Adult supervision is required.  

Zootopia follows the story of a bunny police officer Judy Hopps, who jumps at the opportunity to crack her first case.
Everyone is welcome to bring along some snacks for the movie. Tea, coffee and fruit will be available.

The movie starts at 2pm, so please arrive a little before to find a good seat.

Wildlife sanctuary education experience
Date: Monday 8 July 2019
Time: 10am – 11am
Location: Multi-use Room, Keon Park Children’s Hub
Bookings: Book online or call 8470 8022.
Suitable for primary school aged children.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential

Come and hear the tale of a River Red Gum Tree and dive into the world of water-bugs with staff from La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary! Get hands on to explore what lives within the sanctuary wetlands and discover how important old trees are to our native wildlife. There may even be a special visitor!

Tea, coffee and fruit will be provided.

The show starts at 10am, so please arrive at 9:45 am for registration.

Movie time: Finding Dory (PG)
Date: Friday 12 July 2019
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: Multi-use Room, Keon Park Children’s Hub
Bookings: Book online or call 8470 8022.
Cost: Free - Bookings essential
Suitable for children aged six years and older. Adult supervision is required.  

Dory is a friendly, blue tang fish who experiences short term memory loss. A bump on the head jogs her memory of how she separated from her parents as a child. With help from her friends Nemo and Marlin, Dory embarks on an epic adventure to find them.

Everyone is welcome to bring along some snacks for the movie. Tea, coffee and fruit will be available.

The movie starts at 2pm, so please arrive a little before to find a good seat.

Contact Keon Park Children’s Hub for information about more programs running at KPCH over the school holidays, which include science workshops and robotics courses.

 

Bundoora Park Farm

Location: 1069 Plenty Rd, Bundoora 3083
P: 8470 8170
E: bundoorapark.educationteamleader@darebin.vic.gov.au

The following Bundoora Park Farm activities are suitable for children aged 5 to 12 years unless otherwise specified. Sessions are fully supervised by experienced program leaders. Please note children will need to bring a morning snack and lunch (or place an order with the café). 

Woolly Wonders
When: Thursday 4 July
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Booking: Book online here
Cost: $50.00 – Bookings essential

There's so many ways to use wool, be inspired today by the animals on the farm that can provide us with wool. We'll create a woolly art piece to take home.

Bridles, Brushes & Cuddles
When: Friday 5 July
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Booking: Book online here 
Cost: $50.00 – Bookings essential

Come along for a pony ride*, then help to brush and groom some animals on the farm. We'll visit all the animals and cuddle the guinea pigs too! *Please note pony rides are for children 8 years old or under.

Buckets, Barrows & Tractors
When: Monday 8 July
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Booking: Book online here 
Cost: $50.00 – Bookings essential

Be a farmer for the day and help prepare the food for the animals, then deliver it by wheelbarrow and tractor. Help to milk the goats in the afternoon!

Farmyard Who Dunnit
When: Wednesday 10 July
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Booking: Book online here
Cost: $50.00 – Bookings essential

One of the animals has stolen the carrots from the veggie patch! Join in the fun and meet the animals along the way as we try to solve the mystery of the stolen carrots!

Winter Warmer
When: Friday 12 July
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Booking: Book online here
Cost: $50.00 – Bookings essential

Do some old fashioned farm cooking – scones with jam and cream! Then head out to the farm to pat and feed the animals.

In addition to the Council run activities listed on this page, there is also a range of Outside School Hours Care and Vacation Care programs operated by independent organisations across Darebin for primary school children during the holidays. Click here for a full list of holiday programs.

A collaboration between radio 3KND, Darebin City Council and Banyule City Council has resulted in two unique Communicating Treaty Events for the general community.

These events will be live broadcast by 3KND. Welcome to Country will be performed by Uncle Bill Nicholson, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.

Darebin event details
Date: Thursday 13 June 2019
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Venue: Preston Library, 266 Gower Street
Bookings: This event is sold out but the Banyule event still has some spots left! (Details below)

Speakers:
Jill Gallagher, AO, Victorian Treaty Advancement Commissioner
Diana David, CEO of Reconciliation Victoria
Marcus Stewart, CEO of Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations
Moderator: Charles Wells, Treaty Correspondent 3KND 

Banyule event details
Date: Wednesday 29 May 2019
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Venue: Watsonia Library, 4/6 Ibbottson Road

For speaker details and registrations for this event please visit treatyinourcommunity.eventbrite.com.au

Event Partners
3KND
Banyule City Council
Darebin Libraries
Relationships Australia Victoria
Reconciliation Banyule
Reconciliation Victoria
Yarra Plenty Regional Library

National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) is an important time on the National calendar of events. This year the NAIDOC theme of ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together.’ Voice. Treaty. Truth. were three key elements to the reforms set out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. These reforms represent the unified position of First Nations Australians. This year’s theme also celebrates the importance of working together for a shared future. Learn more about NAIDOC at https://www.naidoc.org.au/

What's on during NAIDOC Week in Darebin:

Mantra Bell City: Aboriginal Flag Raising Ceremony

Join us to celebrate NAIDOC week with an Aboriginal Flag Raising Ceremony at the Mantra Bell City Hotel on Monday 8 July. The Aboriginal flag will fly at Mantra Bell City for 2 weeks commencing Monday 1st July to Sunday 14th July (consecutively) and consistent with National NAIDOC week protocols. There will be a Welcome To Country by a Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder and speeches by Darebin Mayor and Aboriginal community Elders. Light food and tea/coffee will be provided. 

Event details:
Date: Monday 8 July 2019
Time: 10-11.30 am 
Location: Mantra Bell City Hotel, 215 Bell Street, Preston VIC 3072
No RSVP required

Darebin Libraries: NAIDOC Yarnbomb Smoking Ceremony & Morning Tea

Darebin Libraries will be celebrating the completion of their community project, the NAIDOC Week Yarnbomb at Preston Library with Elders from Gurwidj Neighbourhood House will be be conducting a smoking ceremony. Come along to view the installation created in the colors of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. The smoking ceremony will be followed by morning tea. Please BYO cup! 

Event details:
Date: Tuesday 16 July 2019
Time: 10.30-11.30am
Location: Preston Library, 266 Gower Street Preston VIC 3072
More information on Eventbrite

 

Darebin City Council has a long-standing commitment to supporting and advocating on the rights of newly arrived, refugee and asylum seeker communities in our municipality.

In 2018 Darebin Council was one of 15 Australian Councils that showed solidarity with refugees by signing the UNHCR Global  Statement of Solidarity with Refugees. To date, 138 cities around the world have now signed the Cities #WithRefugees solidarity statement and UNHCR is hoping to increase this to 200 cities and update their Cities of Light page with fresh storytelling from cities that have demonstrated exemplary inclusion. 

#WithRefugees is the continuing 3-year theme for Refugee Week 2019 in Australia, bringing a fresh focus to celebrating through sharing food and stories from around the world.

In 2019 Darebin Council will commemorate the contribution of refugees and asylum seekers during Refugee Week by hosting the following free activities:

Location	Event	How to book
Darebin Intercultural Centre	Free to Feed: A night of cooking and connection over dinner FREE Tuesday 18 June 6.00pm – 9.00pm Hosted by ‘Free to Feed’ – this cooking experience is an amazing way to learn about and celebrate traditions, memories and stories.	Register here.
Darebin Intercultural Centre	Film Screening: Hope Road – ‘A world of stories’ from around the globe (PG) FREE Wednesday 19 June 6.00pm – 9.00pm A film which shares a powerful and uplifting story about a refugee from the Sudanese civil war struggling against the odds and caught between two worlds.	Register here.
Preston Library	Film Screening: Border Politics documentary (PG) FREE Thursday 20 June 7:30pm-9:15pm In this film, leading human rights barrister, Julian Burnside AO, deconstructs harsh asylum seeker policies around the world, arguing that failure in political leadership is compromising human rights and destroying democratic principles in the West. Download the flyer here.	Register here.

On Thursday 8 March, individuals, organisations and governments around the world commemorate International Women’s Day.  This day exists to celebrate the social, cultural and political achievements of women but also as a day to raise awareness and take action against gender-based discrimination and violence.

The City of Darebin celebrates international women’s day with special events and activities which take place throughout the municipality during the month of March.

Our key event to celebrate International Women's Day is the Molly Hadfield Social Justice Oration. This is a free public community event held annually in celebration of International Women’s Day. The event is a tribute to well-known Darebin resident Molly Hadfield OAM who worked tirelessly to advance women’s and seniors rights throughout her life. The oration will be delivered by widely published Australian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent, Maxine Beneba Clarke. The evening will also include MC, Lorraine Ngwenya, and performer, Dear Matilda.

 

 

The Darebin Community and Kite Festival – Darebin’s largest annual festival – returns to Edwardes Lake Park, Reservoir on Sunday 24 March 2019.

This year’s festival coincides with Cultural Diversity Week, Victoria’s largest multicultural celebration, which encourages Victorians to come together to celebrate our multicultural heritage and identity.

 

Darebin is one of the most diverse communities in Victoria and is home to people from more than 153 countries who speak 148 different languages. About one third of Darebin’s population was born overseas.

 

In keeping with the themes of Cultural Diversity Week, this year’s Darebin Community and Kite Festival will once again represent the many different cultures that make up the fabric of Darebin.

 

Festival-goers will have the chance to make their own kite to fly on the kite-flying field, as well as enjoy other favourite activities including face painting, storytelling, live music, dance and arts activities, delicious international food and creative arts workshops.

 

The ever-popular Pet Expo is also back, featuring a Pooch Parade, education sessions on responsible pet ownership, competitions and free show bags. There will also be the chance to meet rescue groups, vets, animal behaviourists and dog obedience trainers.

 

Darebin Community & Kite Festival

Edwardes Lake Park
corner Edwardes and Griffiths Streets, Reservoir
Sunday 24 March 2019, 11am-4pm, Free

For more info or to find out how you can get involved visit the Darebin Arts website.

IDAHOBIT also affirms the strength, resilience and contributions of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) people and their families, allies and supporters. In Darebin, we are proud of our diverse community. As the closest level of government to the community, we believe that we have an important role in challenging homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and promoting social inclusion and human rights for all, regardless of sexuality, sex characteristics or gender identity.

We recognise that discrimination can have serious negative consequences on the social and emotional well being of our residents. We are committed to strengthening community cohesion and connectedness by celebrating diversity and promoting respect for all. Darebin Council will celebrate IDAHOBIT 2019 with a rainbow flag raising ceremony and community morning tea.  Everyone is welcome. The flag will fly for one week and Northcote Town Hall will have a night time rainbow illumination.

Event details:

Date: Friday 17 May 2019

Time: 10am – 11am

Meet: Outside Darebin City Hall, 284 Gower St Preston

Download the event flyer.

See Darebin Libraries website for additional events.

Council acknowledges the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer communities of Darebin.  We are committed to combating homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.  

 

 

National Sorry Day is an Australia-wide observance held on May 26 each year. This day gives people the chance to come together and share the steps towards healing for the Stolen Generations, their families and communities. Stolen generations refer to Indigenous Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities.

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is celebrated across Australia each year between 27 May and 3 June and commemorates two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey: the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. The week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can join the national reconciliation effort.

This year, Darebin City Council is recognising and celebrating Reconciliation Week with community-event screenings of Reconciliation themed films at Darebin Libraries:

Film: Occupation Native
Date: Tuesday 28 May
Venue: Preston Library
Time: 6:45-8pm
Register on Eventbrite
 
Film: Connection To Country
Date: Wednesday 29 May
Venue: Northcote Library
Time: 6:45 – 8pm
Register on Eventbrite
 
Film: We Don’t Need A Map
Date: Thursday 30 May
Venue: Preston Library
Time: 7 – 8:30pm
Register on Eventbrite

Ride2Work Day will be held on Wednesday 17th October, 2018 

Ride2Work Day is Australia's biggest celebration of bike riding and the perfect opportunity to try riding to work. Join thousands of riders across Darebin already on their bikes and experience the difference riding can make to your day. 

RIDE2WORK DAY COMMUNITY CELEBRATION 

The City of Darebin is collaborating with Wecycle, our local volunteer-run community bike-shed, to co-host a community celebration. 

Join hundreds of other bike-riding locals for food and drink, music and entertainment, plus give-aways and prizes.
Local mechanics will be on hand to give your bike a free tune-up, and local Police will be offering bike-engraving services.

Wednesday 17th October
From 4pm - 7pm
Batman Park (Cnr St Georges Rd & Arthurton Rd, Northcote)

Want to volunteer and offer your services at our Ride2Work Day celebration? Contact Wecycle at: http://www.wecycle-melbourne.com/join-us/

FREE BREAKFAST BOXES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

All local businesses that register for Ride2Work Day with Darebin Council receive a FREE BREAKFAST BOX to be shared amongst employees on Wednesday 17th October.

Workplaces will also receive posters, riding information and bike-riding give-aways, plus a special thank you gift for every workplace co-ordinator.  

If you’re a local business owner, take the lead and encourage your staff to ride. If you’re an employee, ask your boss to lend their support.

It’s free and easy to register - simply go to Ride2work Day 2018.
Registrations close Wednesday 10th October, 2018.

BENEFITS OF BIKE FRIENDLY WORKPLACES

Riding a bike is fast, convenient and fun. There are many other benefits of riding to work, such as:

• Improving personal health and wellbeing
• Attracting and retaining staff 
• Reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity
• Saving money on petrol and public transport fares 
• Reducing congestion on our roads
• Alleviating parking pressures at work
• Minimising our greenhouse gas emissions

For more information about how to make your workplace more bike-friendly, visit Bicycle Network Victoria.

Our Springtime Community Events brochures are a handy guide to some of the many community events and activities planned for spring, some in celebration of Seniors Month and Community Safety Month held each October. There’s something for everyone.

Activities range from fitness and yoga classes, community lunches, music performances, gardening activities and craft lessons.

You can download the Springtime Community Events guide or pick up a copy at a Customer Service Centre and Darebin Libraries from 18 September 2018.

Please phone 8470 8828 for more information or if you would like the Springtime Community Events brochure posted to you.

This rich and diverse collection of musical events is built on the philosophy that music brings people together and can be enjoyed by all. Darebin Music Feast 2018 will be taking over venues right across the municipality from 18 - 28 October. Immerse yourself in 11 days of non-stop music, with 120 events across 26 venues. 

Highlights include: an Opening Night Party featuring Alice Skye with the PICAA Choir, Girl Zone, Jesswar and Wahe; Jirrmujina Liyan – a live music event showcasing the greatness and power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;  Sonic aGender – a series of workshops, talks and events that consider the relationship between gender and sound; a massive, free, all ages Closing Party featuring 18 acts across 3 stages including RVG, Jaala and Banoffee; plus a new film program, the annual Songwriters’ Award Grand Final, families programming and heaps more.

Take a journey through Darebin’s prestigious live music venues, experience unique pop-up shows in unexpected spaces or take to stage yourself in one of the many participatory events. With such eclectic offerings, and with a huge number of free, all ages and wheelchair accessible events, there really is something for everyone in this year’s Darebin Music Feast.

For updates and news about this event, and opportunities to be involved, visit the Darebin Music Feast website.

 

The Backyard Harvest Festival has inspired home gardeners since it first began in 2011. Home food gardens are open for tours and workshops, to help build a strong sense of community around homegrown and homemade food. There are 19 garden tours and workshops to attend, with four new gardens included in this years program, as well as old favourites to get you inspired to grow your own fresh healthy food. Our talented hosts will provide tips on seedling propagation, keeping chickens, quails and bees, fruit tee maintenance and grafting and natural pest management. As well as productive gardening and native bee workshops, especially designed for families.

Tours runs from between 60-90 minutes, and cost $10 ($5 concession). Where possible events which are a comfortable riding distance apart have been scheduled to follow one another, so why not leave the car at home and plan a fun day out riding between gardens. Plan your ride with a Darebin TravelSmart Map from Council libraries and service centres or phone 8470 8888 mailbox@darebin.vic.gov.au 

Take advantage of our $8 ticket ($4 concession) offer when you purchase a package of three or more events in one transaction.

 

Name of Event	Venue	Date / Time	Overview
Intro to gardening workshops with 'Backyard Basics' *SOLD OUT*	285 High Street Preston	4 May 1.30-3pm	'Backyard Basics' program volunteers will lead hands on composting, wormfarm, seedling propagation, soil management and planting techniques. You will hear about the new DIVRS 'Veg Squad' program
Backyard Chooks workshop *SOLD OUT*	Private Garden in Northcote	5 May 10-11.30am	Jessamy Miller will show you how to keep chooks in an urban environment, including building an ideal home to protect them from predators and what to feed them.
Backyard Bees 101 workshop *SOLD OUT*	Private Garden in Northcote	5 May 1-2.30pm	Morgan Koegel will talk you through how to get started on keeping bees, and how they fit into an urban garden system.
Tour of Monique's Rental Abundance garden *SOLD OUT*	Private Garden in Northcote	5 May 3-4pm	Tour of a market gardeners productive rental garden with a permaculture focus, including seed saving and crop rotation
Tour of Damian's Biodiverse Permaculture garden *SOLD OUT*	Private garden in Reservoir	11 May 10-11am	Tour of a diverse food and native permaculture garden, with a complex mix of species forming mutually beneficial relationships
Tour of Lee's Generous Sharing garden *ALMOST SOLD* Book Here	Private garden in Reservoir	11 May 11.30am-12.30pm	Tour of a bountiful garden in a social housing estate demonstrating how growing food can be affordable and can bring neighbours together
Tour of Luigi and Emanuela's Mediterranean garden *SOLD OUT*	Private garden in Reservoir	11 May 1-2pm	Tour of an abundant Mediterranean inspired garden, including a food preserving area and home built pizza oven.
Productive Gardening with Kids workshop *SOLD OUT*	Private garden in Reservoir	11 May 2.30-4pm	Father daughter team Chad and Poppy will share tips fordesigning a food garden that enables children to meaningfully participate in growing food
Backyard Quails workshop *SOLD OUT*	Privategarden in Northcote	12 May 10-11am	Kat Lavers will teach you how to keep quails, including housing, feeding and how they support a garden system.
Natural Pest Management Workshop *SOLD OUT*	Private garden in Northcote	12 May 11.30am-12.30pm	Kat Lavers will explain natural pest management techniques using permaculture principles.
Tour of 'The Plummery' *SOLD OUT*	Private garden in Northcote	12 May 1.30-2.30pm	Tour of Kat Lavers award-winning and highly productive urban permaculture system 'The Plummery.'
Tour of Robbie's Aquaponics garden *ALMOST SOLD* Book Here	Private garden in Thornbury	12 May 3-4pm	Learn aboutaquaponics systems,in which trout and vegetables are grown in a mutually dependent relationship, enabling both to thrive.
Native Bee workshop for kids and families *SOLD OUT*	Sylvester Hive Community Garden, Corner Gray and Dean Streets, Preston	18 May 10-11am	Katrina Forstner will introduce familiesto native bees,and their role in pollinating food plants and increasing urban biodiversity.Make a bee hotel with recycled materials to take home.
Native Bee workshop for adults Book Here	Sylvester Hive Community Garden, Corner Gray and Dean Streets, Preston	18 May 11.30am-1pm	Katrina Forstner will show you how to attract native bees to your garden, how to recognize native bees andcreatebee habitat. Make a bee hotel with recycled materials to take home.
Fruit tree maintenance workshop  *ALMOST SOLD* Book Here	Private garden in Preston	18 May 2-3pm	Maya willtake you through the different pruning techniqueswhich apply to her extensive range of fruit trees to maximize the healthof tree and fruit.
Tour of Maya's Fruitful garden *ALMOST SOLD* Book Here	Private garden in Preston	18 May 3.30-4.30pm	Tour of Maya's garden which features a range of beautiful decorative fruit trees forming intriguing shapes and patterns.
Tour of Harry's micro orchard garden *NEARLY SOLD* Book Here	Private garden in Northcote	19 May 10-11am	Learn how to garden in small spaces in this organic micro orchard and seasonally rotated herbs and vegetables.
Fruit tree grafting workshop Book Here	Private garden in Northcote	19 May 11.30am-12.30pm	Harry will show you basic aerial layering and grafting techniques for citrus and apple trees.
Tour of Lena's Courtyard Garden *SOLD OUT*	Private garden in Thornbury	19 May 1.30 - 2.30pm	Learn how to make the best of small spaces and include as many productive plants as possible while attracting bees and other beneficial insects.

Click here to fill out the on-line Expression of Interest form or visit any Customer Service Centre to request a hard copy version. 

 

This free event features performances from local choirs, music, community market stalls, sausage sizzle and more! Bring a picnic, your best singing voice and celebrate Christmas with your community.

For more information, visit Carols in All Nations.

As one of 78 state-wide providers, the FReeZA program also provides important performance opportunities for local musicians and emerging artists to showcase their talent through competitions such as the Victorian FReeZA Push Start Battle of the Bands.

All FReeZA events are fully supervised, drug, alcohol and smoke-free.

http://www.facebook.com/DecibelsYouthMusic/

For complete details about our forthcoming programs see the  July - December 2019 Parenting Seminars Calendar.

BOOKINGS: Bookings are essential as places are strictly limited, so book now. (Bookings for each session will be available about 5-6 weeks before the event).

Loud Mouth takes place on school holidays at Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre, with occasional events also held at Northcote Town Hall. For a full listing of events, please visit the Darebin Arts website.

www.facebook.com/pages/Darebin-Arts-Loud-Mouth

A rolling series of participatory arts projects and events to delight locals, inspire visitors, and bring people together through sound, illustration, music, dance, food and play. Join us as we explore and celebrate the unique character of this thriving northern suburb. All you have to do is head True North.

To find out more, visit True North Arts.

The Speakeasy program is presented at Northcote Town Hall and features artists from across Melbourne and beyond.