Parade

Applications are now open for the Warrandyte Festival Parade (below).

Participation in the Parade is open to community groups, local organisations, schools, kindergartens, musical groups, performers and local businesses of Warrandyte and neighbouring areas (and other groups by invitation).

Guidelines for participation apply. Visit warrandytefestival.org/policies

Each application is subject to review by the Warrandyte Festival Committee and will be accepted or declined dependent upon the applicant meeting the criteria.

There is no guarantee that Parade participants will be invited back on an annual basis.

Expressions of interest open: 20 November 2024

Expressions of interest close: 28 February 2025

You will receive a confirmation via email shortly after submitting your Expression of Interest.

If successful, you may be required to submit further documentation.

You will be advised of your parade number and marshalling details that apply to you.

Once accepted, if you do not wish to attend, we would appreciate you letting us know immediately please.

• Marshal: 8.30am or 9.15am

• Parade start time: 10.00am start at the Warrandyte Community Centre

• Approximate finish time: 11.00am at Stiggants Reserve

Start: Community Centre, 168 Yarra Street, Warrandyte

Finish: Stiggants Reserve, Corner Stiggant and Yarra Streets, Warrandyte.

All marshalling is on Yarra Street, the west side of the bridge from the bus stop to the Community Centre.

There are two marshalling areas. –

1. Vehicles

2. Pedestrians and participants intending to ride on parade floats.

Marshalling Point 1 – Vehicles and floats
West side of Warrandyte Bridge on Yarra Street past the bus stop

1. Vehicles and floats will marshall on the west side of the Bridge on Yarra Street, starting point west of the bus stop.

2. Please arrive by 8.30am

3. Judging takes place between 9.30am and 9.45am. A parade judge will visit floats at this marshalling point.

4. Emergency services personnel will direct vehicles in Yarra Street in order of their parade number.

5. Festival volunteers will be present to assist participants.

Marshalling Point 2 – Pedestrians and participants
wonguim wilam Park (old Lions Park adjacent to the bridge)

This is the marshalling area for pedestrians and participants intending to ride on the back of trucks during the parade.

1. Please arrive by 9.15am

2. Find your group and stay together. The assembly points for each group will be marked in the marshalling area, and a list of the entries is posted next to the entrance on Yarra Street.

3. Kindergarten and child care groups will marshal closest to the gas BBQ area near the bridge.

4. Emergency services will start moving entries into position when the road is closed, at about 9.30am. Passengers can board vehicles at this stage.

5. Festival volunteers will be present to assist participants.

6. Judging takes place from 9.30am until the parade starting time (10.00am)

• Slow walking pace, keeping a 10 metre gap between entries (please tell your drivers).

• Participants and bands should perform their repertoire for the entire length of the parade.

• Supervise the children in your entry.

• If your entry has difficulty during the parade, move to the left side of the road and stop.

• If emergency vehicles enter Yarra Street during this time, the parade will stop and move to the left side of the road until all vehicles pass.

• In the event of an emergency or safety hazard, please stop and await instructions from emergency services, assisted by Festival volunteers.

When the Parade reaches the corner of Yarra Street and Stiggant Street:

1. Walking participants should turn right and walk down Stiggant Street and enter the Stiggants Reserve festival site.

2. There is no entry to Stiggant Street or Stiggants Reserve for vehicles, horses and carts, or horses either being ridden or led.

3. Vehicles unloading passengers:

• Will be directed to pull over to the right side of Yarra Street between Stiggant Street and Everard Drive.

• Passengers should dismount when the vehicle stops and promptly move away from the area (please tell parents/carers to collect their children and move away as soon as possible).

• After being unloaded, vehicles will be directed back to the left side of Yarra Street and may proceed past the road block, heading towards the Harris Gully Road roundabout.

4. Vehicles not unloading passengers:

• Will be waved on, past the road block, where they may continue along Yarra Street towards the Harris Gully Road roundabout.

• As you will be entering normal traffic at this point, please ensure the safety of all involved, choosing a safe route or dismounting area. Please decide before the Parade what you intend to do at the end.

5. Horse and carts and horses/ponies being ridden or led:

• Will be waved on, past the road block, where they may continue along Yarra Street towards the Harris Gully Road roundabout.

• As you will be entering normal traffic at this point, please ensure the safety of all involved, choosing a safe route or dismounting area. Please decide before the Parade what you intend to do at the end.

Vehicle options after the parade

1. Park the vehicle and wait for Yarra Street to reopen, or visit the Festival. Car parking may be available in Taroona Avenue and at Goldfields Plaza Shopping Centre.

2. Leave Warrandyte via Harris Gully Road (first left at the roundabout) or go straight on at the roundabout towards Templestowe.

3. If you want to return to the Tills Drive end of Warrandyte and don’t want to wait for Yarra Street to reopen, an option is to go via Harris Gully Road, then left at Beauty Gully Road. We advise you not to drive down Hussey’s Lane (which is entered via Gold Memorial Road or Beauty Gully Road) if your vehicle is large or you are towing a trailer.

Parade entrants must provide their own Public Liability Insurance, at their own cost.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your coverage is appropriate and adequate.

Risk Management

You are required to read and abide by the Warrandyte Festival Risk Management Guidelines.

Employing staff

If you are employing staff, you are required to provide your own appropriate work cover and ensure your own occupational health and safety requirements are met, at your own cost.

A perpetual trophy is awarded annually for the entry judged to be best overall.

Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Most magical

• Most creative

• Most environmental

• Most colurful

• Best overall

Parade judges will be looking for creative ideas that are in keeping with the theme. This could include partnerships between organisations and the use of local materials and recycled and environmentally-friendly materials.

The Warrandyte Festival Committee continues to work towards a waste-free event.

Stallholders and participants are required to provide services and materials in line with the Warrandyte Festival Committee’s waste management and recycling guidelines.

Compliance to the following guidelines is essential:

• Do not drop rubbish from your float or distribute items to the public that may later become rubbish (ie lolly wrappers)

• Avoid unnecessary packaging and/or promotional materials

• Under no circumstances is polystyrene or glass to be used

• Any boxes/cartons/and any large paper containers that you bring to the Festival are not to be put into the small recycle bins. The Festival provides a large trailer container for these items. The trailer is located at the lower river reserve car park near the permanent brick toilet block

• We have a no balloon policy

In case of extreme weather or fire conditions and on advice from the CFA and Police, the Warrandyte Festival Committee reserves the right to cancel or postpone the Festival.

Please note that parking permits are not available to Street Parade participants.

Normal street parking is available in nearby streets. Please abide by all parking regulations.

Parking inspectors are likely to be enforcing rules on the day.

Please note road closure times and plan ahead.

Please email our Parade coordinators at parade@warrandytefestival.org with any enquiries.