Glenroy Festival

2025 Glenroy Festival

Glenroy Festival will be taking over Glenroy Community Hub and Bridget Shortell Reserve, Glenroy on Sunday 4 May from 11AM to 3PM with a celebration of performance, community, food, art and music.  

Glenroy Festival celebrates and showcases the vibrant and diverse community of Glenroy.

Event Highlights:

• FREE Entertainment
• Wodsworth Annual Dog Revue
• Youth Zone (Mini Makers Market)
• The Wayfarers
• Singing Bath Workshop
• Personalised Bookmark-Making Workshop

• VR Project by Bunk Puppets

• Stage Program

  Location: Bridget Shortell Reserve
  
  MC Phily Yung

  11AM – Yara
  12.00PM – Welcome to Country and Official Speeches
  12.10PM – Circus Spot
  12:40PM – Nepaus Dance Studio
  1.30PM – Grace Robinson
  2.30PM – ChikChika

• Wodsworth Annual Dog Revue

  Location: Bridget Shortell Reserve

  Session 1: 11.30AM – 12PM
  Session 2: 1PM – 1.30PM
  Session 3: 2PM – 2.30PM

  Calling all dog lovers of Merri-bek!

  The internationally renowned Wodsworth Annual Dog Revue is making its way to a park near you!

  Join Reginald Wodsworth III, eccentric heir to the Wodsworth show-dog dynasty, and his award winning show-poodle Fluffy, as they transform Bridget Shortall Reserve into a dog show spectacular the likes of which Glenroy has never seen before!

  Watch all of the thrills and spills from the side of the field, or join in with the action as participants are invited to transform themselves into dogs and trainers, and take part in a series of Best In Show activities usually reserved for elite show dogs and their owners. 

  That's right. The Wodsworth Annual Dog Revue wants YOU … to be a dog (or a trainer) in this hilarious and surreal interactive performance extravaganza for children and their families!

  So grab a poo bag or two and join us as we navigate talents, tricks, obstacles and obedience to put on the best dog show Glenroy Festival has ever seen!

  Credits:
  Created by Lachlan MacLeod and Niow
  Design by Niow
  Sound by Lachlan MacLeod

  Wodsworth Annual Dog Revue is a product of the Festival's Merri-bek 2024 Development Program.

  Content Warnings:
  Contains human dogs. Cuteness and hyperactivity will be at high levels. Butts may be sniffed. Watch where you step.

• The Wayfarers

  Location: Glenroy Library (inside the Glenroy Community Hub)

  Times:
  12.00PM-12.30PM
  1.30PM – 2PM

  The Wayfarers is a new public space performance exploring themes of daring, inclusion and camaraderie through storytelling, literacy and the wild world of the imagination inspired through books.

  Follow The Wayfarers and their fantastical book trolley on a processional journey throughout the festival as they bring the library and surrounding precinct to life in extraordinary ways featuring acrobatic stunts, book balances and captivating physical performances that seemingly emerge out of thin air. 

  The Wayfarers is a product of the Festival's Merri-bek 2024 Development Program.

• Community Stalls

  Location: Bridget Shortell Reserve

  Glenroy Festival will be brimming with community organisations and stalls wanting to share information about your local community with you.

  • Broadmeadows and District Garden Club
  • Clean Up Glenroy / Lions Club of Glenroy
  • Climate Action Merribek
  • Community Development & Social Policy
  • Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School
  • Customer Service
  • Fire Rescue Victoria
  • Friends of Aileu
  • Gardens for Wildlife Program
  • Glenroy College
  • Glenroy Community Action Group
  • Glenroy Neighbourhood House
  • Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP, State Member for Broadmeadows
  • Melbourne City Mission Early Links
  • Merri Creek Management Committee
  • Merri-bek Bicycle User Group Incorporated
  • Merri-bek City Council - Age Well Care Finder Program
  • Merri-bek City Council - Children's Services
  • Moreland Neighbourhood Watch Inc
  • Mulberry Community Garden Glenroy
  • Northern Schools Early Years
  • Small Friends Child Care Pearl Street
  • Socialist Alliance
  • Storycycle (Sustainable Resource Use)
  • Sustainable Communities
  • Youth Team
• Singing Bath Workshop

  Location: Jam Room (inside the Glenroy Community Hub)

  Session 1: 11.30AM
  Session 2: 12.30PM
  Session 3: 1.30PM

  The Singing Bath workshop is an immersive experience where participants explore the power of improvised singing as a form of self-expression, community building, and mental well-being. Through guided vocal improvisation, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with their inner sound, release tension, and experience the therapeutic benefits of singing in a supportive and inclusive environment. Suitable for all ages. 
  
  

• VR Project by Bunk Puppets

  Location: Glenroy Library (inside the Glenroy Community Hub)

  Time: Drop-in experience from 11AM – 3PM

  Step into a world of shadow and light with The Little Things, an immersive 8-minute VR film by Brunswick’s own Bunk Puppets! Mesmerising shadow puppetry and found objects conjure captivating landscapes and characters. This “DIY-VR” experience platforms the real voices of Merri-bek residents as they share their thoughts on hope, strength, and the enduring resilience of our local community.

  Bunk Puppets’ signature creativity transforms everyday materials into pure magic, all within your own virtual reality headset!

  Supported by Arts Merri-bek Flourish arts grant.

  Suitable for adults and ages 6+.

• Personalised Bookmark-Making Workshop

  Location: Makers Space (inside the Glenroy Community Hub)

  Time: Drop-in workshop from 11AM - 3PM

  Join us for a fun and safe crafting experience where you'll design unique bookmarks using pre-cut wooden blanks and colourful geometric foam 3D stickers. Perfect for adding a personal touch to your reading! 

  No experience needed – just bring your imagination!

• Nepali Story Telling at Glenroy Library

  Location: Glenroy Children’s Library (inside the Glenroy Community Hub)

  Time:  
  11.30AM-12:00PM
  12:30PM-1:00PM
  2:00PM – 2.30PM

  Ekadeshma ‘Once upon a time, in a land far way’ is a Nepali organisation that supports young people staying connected with their cultural heritage through storytelling. They will be conducting 3 storytelling workshops for kids aged between 5-12 years in Nepali language.

• Youth Zone

  Time: 11AM-3PM

  Location: Bridget Shortell Reserve

  Merri-bek Youth proudly presents the Youth Makers Market at the Glenroy Festival.

  Young creators, 12 to 24 years from Merri-bek will showcase their work, with stalls offering a diverse range of items, from zines and art prints to crochet and pottery. We invite you to join us in supporting the talented young creators of Merri-bek and celebrate their creativity.”

• Basket Weaving with WUDTJAMEEN  

  Location: Bridget Shortell Reserve

  Session 1: 11.30AM
  Session 2: 12PM
  Session 3: 12.30PM
  Session 4: 1PM
  Session 5: 1.30PM
  Session 6: 2PM 

  Basket weaving, traditionally practiced by First Nations women, is about not just the making of functional baskets, but the time spent together, sharing stories and knowledge, and creating space for one another. The workshops will be facilitated by Georgia Anne, a Central and Eastern Arrernte woman and multi-disciplinary artist. Georgia has been weaving for a decade, and now creates large woven sculptures out of grasses for functional use, and installations in galleries, organisations and homes. 

• Year of the Snake Drawing Workshop

  Location: Outside Glenroy Community Hub

  Time: Drop in Sessions 11:30PM & 1:30PM

  Counihan Gallery Workshops goes to Glenroy Festival 

  Interested in learning about the Chinese zodiac? Artist Judy Kuo is running a ‘The Year of the Snake’ kids drawing and collage workshop to commemorate the 2025 zodiac animal.

  Age range: 8-12 years  

   

   

• Food Options

  There will be a delicious selection of food available at Glenroy Festival from 11AM-3PM

  • Antonio’s Pizza e Cucina
  • Billy Van Creamy
  • Melbourne Bao
  • Falafellas
  • Rockstar Tacos
  • Food, Family, Passion
  • Two Fat Indians

Important Information:

• Glenroy Festival is single-use plastic free event so please bring a reusable water bottle.
• Drinking taps will be available on site.
• We strongly encourage the use of a face mask and social distancing. Please observe cough etiquette and personal hygiene measures.

Getting to Glenroy Festival

Glenroy Festival is located at Glenroy Community Hub, 50 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy.

Come to the Glenroy Festival by bicycle!

There is plenty of secure bike parking available near the Bridgett Shortell Reserve and car park entrances to the Glenroy Community Hub.

You can also avoid traffic by using a bike trail. The closest trails to Glenroy Community Hub are:

• Glenroy to Moonee Ponds bike trail
• Upfield shared path
• Merlynston to Pascoe Vale east-west route

You can check out suggested bike trails and routes via this handy map created by the Active Merri-bek team.

Download Bicycle Trail Map

Public Transport:
The following transport lines have routes that pass near Wheatsheaf Road:

Train:
Nearest station 650m (8-min walk) – Glenroy Station (Craigieburn Line)

Buses:
513, 514 200m (2-min walk)
534, 536 600m (7-min walk)

For more information, visit Public Transport Victoria’s website: ptv.vic.gov.au

Merri-bek City Council encourages you to walk, cycle or use public transport to travel to and from the festival.

Parking:
Limited parking available nearby on surrounding streets. Please ensure to read parking signs.

Suggested:
Waterloo Road: FREE All-day parking. 450m (5-min walk).
Cardinal Road: FREE All-day parking. 550m (6-min walk).
Mott Reserve car park: FREE All-day parking. 600m (7-min walk).
Glenroy Station: FREE 2-hour parking. 650m (8-min walk).

Accessibility:
The Glenroy Festival site is physically accessible. Most of the site is ground-level grass. There are wheelchair-access pathways from the street to a cement pathway around the site which leads to the Glenroy Community Hub building.

Accessible bathrooms are available inside the Glenroy Community Hub.

Expect lively music and a friendly, bustling atmosphere, however, there are activities in quieter spaces such as the library and a quiet space to relax in. If you have any specific access or other needs, please ask one of our friendly staff in the pink or black “Arts Merri-bek” t-shirts.

 Important Information

• Glenroy Festival is single-use plastic free event so please bring a reusable water bottle.
• Drinking taps will be available on site.

Contact the Festivals Team 

Festivals Team, Festivals Officer

Phone: 9240 1111

Email: festivals@merri-bek.vic.gov.au

For more information about Merri-bek arts events visit our What's on from Arts Merri-bek page.