Moonee Valley
Festival 2020
February - March
Neighbourhood events
across Moonee Valley
Don't miss out on these events
Come and Try Day
Sunday 23 February, 12 noon – 4pm
Walter Reserve, Ascot Vale
Join in the fun and fitness as you come and try a variety of easy and accessible ways to get active with your local recreation and sporting clubs, groups and organisations.
Twilight Concert
Saturday 29 February, 4.30pm – 9pm
Lincoln Park, Essendon
Pack your picnic and sit back and relax for a free twilight concert on a balmy summer’s night.
Food Fair Festival
Sunday, 15 March, 12 noon – 4pm
Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre
Get a taste of the real Moonee Valley at this festival of flavour and immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of our neighbourhoods.
Council’s sustainability team will also be there with information about sustainable food practices and managing food waste!
Neighbour Day Community Picnic
Sunday 29 March, 12pm – 4pm
Coronet Park & Crown Street Stables
Join us for a community picnic celebrating Neighbour Day, Australia’s annual celebration of community, encouraging people to connect with those who live in their neighbourhood.
To mark the occasion Moonee Valley will be celebrating those who make a difference in our community with our neighbourhood Spirit Awards. Nominations close on 9 February.
Other neighbourhood events
But wait, there's more!
There are plenty of other exciting events happening across Moonee Valley's neighborhoods this February and March.
We have a triathlon, Lunar New Year celebrations and twilight markets to name a few!
Past events
Illuminate the River
Saturday 15 February
5pm – 9.30pm
The Blvd, Maribyrnong River, Aberfeldie
The Festival will open in spectacular style with a grand celebration that is Illuminate the River. The river precinct near Incinerator Gallery will become a hub of cultural activities, including live music, roving performances and pop-up activities for all ages. The celebration will continue into the evening as we open the 2020 Moonee Valley Festival in style!
What else is happening?
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History of the Moonee Valley Festival
The Moonee Valley Festival started out in 1977 as the Essendon Community Festival. The first five festivals were organised by the Essendon Ethnic Liaison Committee, and were held in Queens Park. These early celebrations were small compared to the festival we know today, but they were just as vibrant. Local musicians performed alongside a handful of food stands, craft and stalls showcasing the work of local artists.
Essendon City Council took over running the festival in 1982, and over four decades, the Moonee Valley Festival became one of the most popular and beloved dates in our community calendar.
In July 2018, as part of MV2040’s vision for a healthy city and fostering a neighbourhood hub approach, Council endorsed a report recommending that the Moonee Valley Festival grow from a single-day event to a series of events taking place across Moonee Valley neighbourhoods.
Throughout February and March 2019, a variety of spaces and facilities were activated, and Council engaged and partnered with local community groups and artists for the new-format festival. The Maribyrnong River now features as a key location, hosting the Festival’s central event, Illuminate the River. The Moonee Valley Festival is becoming more agile and inclusive for all residents as it spreads its wings across the municipality and we look forward to seeing you at one of the many events in 2020.
Go green at the festival
We’re proud to have adopted a range of sustainable initiatives at all festival events including, minimising single-use plastics, blowing bubbles not balloons, provision of recycling bins and bike parking bays.
We’re also inviting you to be a sustainable festival patron by adopting the following tips:
- Take a reusable drink bottle – a hydration station will be onsite all events
- Bring your own reusable coffee cup
- Ride your bike – bike parking will be available
- Catch public transport or carpool to the festival
- BYO reusable bag