With its 17 kilometres of foreshore, world class golf courses and vast parklands, Bayside is Melbourne’s favourite playground. And Council ensures that locals and visitors have plenty to keep them entertained with festivals celebrating everything from food to film.
Council produces five significant events per year – Carols in the Park, the Bright ‘n’ Sandy Festival (local food and wine showcase), the Bayside Literary Festival, the Resonance Music Series and the Bayside Film Festival.
Carols in the Park is Council’s largest annual public event, attracting about
15,000 people every year. Local choirs and groups perform along with feature acts before a fireworks display closes the night. Council organisers encourage businesses to support the free event and provide competition prizes. Profits go to a local charity.
Bright ‘n’ Sandy is a community food and wine festival featuring Bayside’s fine cuisine and café culture. The day by the bay, which attracts thousands to the Brighton locale, includes demonstrations from local chefs and guest presenters.
The Bayside Literary Festival, held in May, opens with Bayside’s Literary Awards and includes workshops and readings at Council’s four libraries, community centres and historical houses. Locals and visitors hear from local authors, writers and illustrators and can take part in workshops.
The Bayside Film Festival brightens winter with its diverse program of shorts, features, youth documentaries and digital stories.
The Festival, held at the Palace Cinema in Brighton, has grown significantly since the inaugural event in 2004.
Council’s Resonance is an innovative annual series of new music and historic music concerts.
The new music performances feature contemporary works by Australian and international composers and Early Music in the Very Round features six early music concerts.
Council’s Youth Services supports an annual Battle of the Bands in which the final is a supervised and drug, alcohol and smoke free event. Since its launch five years ago, the events have been organised by a committee of young people as part of the State Government’s FReeZA program.
As well as its key events, Council supports art shows, exhibitions, fetes and sporting events throughout the year. Major golf tournaments, an increasing number of major sailing events and many triathlons are held with Council‘s support.
