History of Maroondah Festival

An interactive activity made up of large cardboard boxes with interchangable heads, bodies and legs drawn onto them so that participants can create their own unique people.

Maroondah Festival originated in 1990 as the Croydon Festival and was designed to encourage the involvement of Council, community groups, local traders and key business stakeholders within the local area and the surrounding eastern region.

Over the years, Maroondah Festival has adapted and changed in both dates and locations. Originally starting out in Town Park, the event coincided with the Easter Holidays and BMX Championships. Over the last decade, the Festival fell on the third Sunday in February and resided at Croydon Park. During this time Maroondah Festival took on many different formats including a weekend event with numerous lead up activities and a large geographical area including Town Park, Arndale Shopping Centre, Mt Dandenong Road, Croydon Park, Croydon Main Street, Croydon Market and Ringwood Lake. Over the last few years Maroondah Festival has been contained to the one day (Sunday) and all activities have been held on Croydon Park.

An estimate of 25,000 people pass through the event throughout the day, making the Maroondah Festival one of the biggest community events in Melbourne and a key event on the Melbourne cultural calendar.

Over the years our main stage headliners have included Kate Ceberano, Vanessa Amorosi, Paul Kelly, Johnny Diesel, Hunters and Collectors and event a few international acts.

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