Rejoice in spring as the Dandenongs come alive with colour! Tiptoe through the blooming tulips at Silvan’s Farm during Dutch Weekend; explore Turkish and Irish cultures during dedicated weekends; or treat your tastebuds to food, wine and jazz weekends!
Karimi may miss her family back home in Afghanistan, but she couldn’t miss the chance to celebrate Nowruz at Dandenong Park this Sunday – the ancient festival marking the new year.
Tesselaar Tulip Festival
The Tesselaar Tulip Festival is an unforgettable springtime experience for flower enthusiasts and families. Held every September-October on Tesselaar Flower Farm located in Silvan, this breathtaking event showcases over one million flower bulbs including nearly one million tulips! Not only can visitors marvel at this magnificent sight; live entertainment and activities provide fun entertainment and activities suitable for all ages alike at this spectacular festival!
This year, visitors can expect the tulips to bloom earlier than ever before, creating an enchanting display. Additionally, this year’s festival offers various themed weekends including Dutch, Turkish, Food & Wine, Irish as well as a Kids Week which make this ideal for family outings during school holidays.
As you stroll amongst the blooms, why not visit the Clog Shop to try on traditional Dutch costumes or take photos with Australia’s largest clog. Indulge in some authentic Dutch cuisine while at Tesselaar Tulip Festival’s garden games, fairy garden rides and exciting attractions as well.
Tesselaar is located approximately an hour’s drive from Melbourne, so plan ahead by packing a picnic to enjoy in the middle of a field or visiting one of the restaurants there. After exploring Tesselaar you can return home via one of Dandenong Ranges accommodations such as Gracehill Retreat to create unforgettable memories with loved ones.
If you’re in search of something unique this year, why not visit the Tesselaar Tulip Festival in Victoria’s Yarra Valley region? With its spectacular array of colors sure to put a smile on your face and guarantee an unforgettable experience, be prepared for an explosion of colour that is guaranteed to leave you wanting more! So book your stay and be prepared to be dazzled by an explosion of color – enjoy!
Chinese Light Spectacular
After its groundbreaking tour of Europe and China, Australia’s inaugural light and lantern festival returns. Running from September 11-18 at Dandenong Showgrounds’ Greaves Reserve in Dandenong, hundreds of colorful lanterns adorn gum trees to create an entrancing spectacle; dragon playgrounds, snapping piranha plants, lovely Insta-worthy tunnels are among other aspects of Chinese culture represented in its displays.
Visitors follow a marked route as they explore this exhibit that spans 10,000 square meters and is free to enter. Lighting creations up to 20 meters wide feature windmills, Chinese zodiacs and dinosaurs – and more than 40 pieces have been assembled from around Australia to illuminate it all! Music performances, ceremonies, food trucks and jumping castles add further entertainment – with Logistic Events Australia director Rod Stoller hoping that visitors learn something about Chinese history, culture and tradition as they enjoy this event.
At this festival, visitors have an opportunity to take part in cultural arts workshops and activities. At the Beer Garden tent, lantern artists demonstrate techniques such as lantern painting and aluminum braiding; there are dumpling workshops and folk dance lessons; face changers delight crowds by instantly changing masks with just a wave of their hand or fan; plus more!
Experience all that the city has to offer culinary-wise – from street hawkers selling traditional snacks, sit-down restaurants, food courts, beer gardens and various coffee shops are available for enjoyment.
Not like most festivals, this one stays open during the day to allow you to soak up its unique atmosphere. But if you happen to visit on a weekend evening, head out at dusk for an even better view of lanterns illuminated in all their glory – the festival runs between 6 and 11 pm each night!
At this festival, children under four can ride for free while tickets for all other members of your family cost $20 per person. For more information and booking purposes, visit the festival’s website; alternatively you may purchase them at the event itself.
Dandenong Festival of Lights
The Dandenong Festival of Lights is an unforgettable family experience. Boasting 32 breathtaking silk lanterns spanning up to an impressive 20m in width and 8m high, its displays showcase windmills, Chinese Zodiac animals, dinosaurs, flowers and insects as well as animals such as tigers, elephants and pandas. Plus there will be ambient music playing along the tree-lined paths!
The Festival will take place from 26 August until 9 October at Dandenong Showgrounds in Greaves Reserve and tickets can be bought online, costing $20 for adults and $14 for children.
This year’s Dandenong Festival of Lights will showcase new additions such as terracotta warriors, huge temples and magical zodiac animals as part of its spectacular creations. Lights will be turned on each evening from 6pm-10pm, making the showgrounds come alive with vibrant colour while families can take pleasure in carnival rides, street food stalls and live performances – the festival offers something fun for all.
Greater Dandenong, approximately 35km southeast of Melbourne, is one of Victoria’s most diverse municipalities with a population of 159,000 people from over 150 nations, most having made Greater Dandenong their home. Festivals, events and activities held throughout the year celebrate many different cultures in Greater Dandenong.
Dandenong began as a sleepy farming community, known for its livestock market that attracted farmers from across Victoria. Over time, this market became an invaluable hub of activity and became famous for its vibrant atmosphere with families enjoying delicious coffee palace cuisine.
As Victoria expanded, people became less used to traditional agricultural realities; and after almost 90 years in operation the stock market was relocated in 1958. Cheltenham Road behind railway yards eventually became its new home until 1998 when Victoria’s last municipally owned livestock market closed down.
Tesselaar Festival of Music
Tesselaars Farm has delighted visitors since 1954 with its eye-catching displays of tulips and other spring flowering bulbs, including over one million blooms in an array of vibrant colours spread over multiple acres of the farm. Family friendly circus arts by Circus Oz as well as delicious food trucks, garden games, market stalls and market stalls keep visitors entertained during Tesselaars Festival which runs daily including public holidays until April 21st – giving children 16 or under free entry!
Tesselaar KaBloom offers several special events, including Turkish, Dutch, and Irish themed days. On these occasions you can experience cuisine from these countries while sipping traditional drinks such as Guinness or Oude Genever and enjoying music and dance performances.
Discover breathtaking garden displays while taking a ride on the Tulip Tractor, exploring Fairy Garden or participating in a treasure hunt – or have your photo taken among tulip fields of colour! Children can meet Sesame Street characters like Peppa Pig or meet Sesame Street characters like Elmo for workshops and games!
The Tesselaar family first opened their farm to the public in 1954 after realizing people were stopping their cars to admire its vibrant tulips. They decided to turn this stoppage of cars into an attraction, inviting local residents and visitors alike to walk through their fields and admire these blooms – at first only gladioli and daffodils were grown so as to provide other communities an opportunity to witness these spectacular creations of theirs.
Over the years, they slowly added more and more tulips to their display gardens, becoming one of the main draws at Tesselaars KaBloom festival and drawing visitors from all around Australia and even further afield.
Tesselaars flower farm, just an hour’s drive from Melbourne, is an idyllic springtime experience to visit. Accessible both by car and public transit, make sure to bring a rug and warm clothes as it can get quite cold in late afternoon when visiting. Also don’t forget your camera or phone to take gorgeous shots of all those vibrant tulips!
