Tag: entertainment

Media Release: Outstanding citizens recognised for Australia Day

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It just wouldn’t be Australia Day in Maroondah without recognising some of our community’s most valued citizens.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said he was looking forward to presenting Australia Day Awards at a special ceremony on 26 January. Awards will be presented to Maroondah’s Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, and Community Event of the Year.

“Australia Day is an opportunity for all of us to take pride in our citizenship and reflect on the meaning and importance of being Australian,” Cr Makin said.

“It will be a pleasure to recognise the contributions of Maroondah residents to the community during Council’s annual Australia Day awards,” Cr Makin said.

Australia Day in Maroondah is again shaping as a fun-filled affair with a range of activities on offer for the entire family.

The action gets under way between 11am and 2pm at Ringwood Lake Soundshell with a flag raising ceremony to mark our national day.

Head on down and enjoy a free community barbecue & childrens activities including art workshops, animal farm, jumping castle and face painting.

And there’s plenty of entertainment on offer throughout the early afternoon, with a live performance by the Ringwood Folk Band and a childrens stage act.

Enjoying Planned Retirement’s Hidden Talents and Dinner Performance

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Enjoying Planned Retirement (EPR) is a seniors based group located at Norwood Hall in Warrandyte Road, Ringwood North. The group, which has over 400 members, organises a diverse range of activities, including the bi-annual Hidden Talents Performance.

Hidden Talents provides an opportunity for the members of EPR to showcase their musical, poetry and theatrical skills in an enjoyable evening entertainment. Tonight’s performance was undertaken in cabaret style, with the evening including a meal between the many acts that performed throughout the night.

Hidden Talents has quickly become a popular fixture on the EPR calendar and it is great to see the many talents that exist within members of the group.

For further details on EPR please visit www.enjoywithepr.org.au

Media Release: Ringwood CAD Stage 2 Parking Strategy adopted

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Maroondah City Councillors on Monday night adopted the 13 policies outlined in the Ringwood Central Activities District (CAD) Stage 2 Parking Strategy Report.

Councillor Alex Makin said the strategy would be an important tool in addressing many of the potential parking challenges in the Ringwood CAD by providing a range of principles and policies that will guide the direction of both the provision and management of parking in that area.

“The accommodation and management of future parking demand within the Ringwood CAD will present many challenges and will play a fundamental role in both transport and land use planning,” Cr Makin said.

“Council understands that parking cannot be viewed as a stand-alone issue, which is why it has developed the Ringwood CAD Stage 2 Parking Strategy. The strategy includes a range of policies and actions that address the future parking needs of residents and visitors to the Ringwood CAD,” Cr Makin said.

The strategy, which contains 13 strategy policies, has four main aims:

  • Improve management of on-street car parking to achieve optimum use and turnover of car parks.
  • Maximise the availability and awareness of existing parking by better managing demands and encouraging alternative transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport.
  • Manage the provision of off-street parking for new and existing land uses.
  • Encourage good design principles to minimise the amount of land used by car parking at ground level.

Stage 2 of the Ringwood CAD Parking Strategy Report was completed in September. It follows the completion of the report’s first stage, which provided a snapshot of existing parking within the CAD, established occupancy levels, assessed commuter parking, identified areas to tackle and manage parking as the CAD develops, and provide the platform and direction for the development of a parking strategy.

Ringwood is one of six designated CADs in the State Government’s strategy, Melbourne 2030: Planning for Sustainable Growth. The CAD program aims to create a vibrant and sustainable town centre encompassing retail, commercial, residential, leisure, entertainment and community activities, which will be accessible from surrounding areas by an integrated transport network.

For more information on Ringwood’s transformation into a CAD, visit www.ringwoodgoingplaces.com.au

Media Release: Kids rule the roost come festival time

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Some of the most exciting childrens entertainment on Maroondah’s 2009 social calendar can be found at Kids Kingdom – a much anticipated feature of the annual Maroondah Festival.

Kids Kingdom features a huge range of free activities, rides and entertainment for young ones.

Councillor Alex Makin said festival organisers had jammed as much fun as possible into this year’s program.

“It’s kids only at Kids Kingdom, but mums and dads are welcome of course!” Cr Makin said.

“The entire family could easily spend a day out at the festival exploring Kids Kingdom alone. Entertainment ranges from live performances to farmyard animals, cupcake decorating, rides and much more,” Cr Makin said.

“So make sure you mark Sunday 8 November in your diary to avoid missing out,” Cr Makin said.

One of the highlights of Kids Kingdom will be the Kids Stage, which will host performances from 11am by Yarra Road Primary School, Village School, Ruskin Park Primary School and the festival’s featured act The Workers.

Elsewhere, children will have the opportunity to participate in an activity presented by Brentwood Park Kindergarten, join the fun of the farmyard area (complete with animal farm, hay bales, scarecrows, animal craft activity and roving cowboy Slim Tim), and visit the snake handler’s live reptile display where they can learn about Charlie the Crocodile, venomous snakes, stumpy tails, bearded dragons and many more weird and wonderful creatures.

For something a little more sedate, children can try their hand at painting terracotta pots containing plants native to Maroondah. Once finished, children can take the plants and pots home.

To celebrate the festival’s 20th birthday children will be invited to join a special cupcake decorating activity. But you’ll have to be on-site early as there will be a limited number of cupcakes available.

“And if your child wants to get their hands a little bit dirty, the festival’s interactive play area is the place to be. Have a ball in the giant sandpit, and discover the fun of play dough, slime and bubbles at this popular section of Kids Kingdom,” Cr Makin said.

The Croydon Library will be open and will host special author readings through the day. Be sure to visit the Fairy Garden in front of the library at 12.30 and 3.30pm for special storytime sessions by authors Richard Galbraith and Leigh Hobbs.

Many childrens service providers servicing Maroondah exhibit at Kids Kingdom. Nursing mothers, lost children and baby change facilities are also located at Kids Kingdom for your convenience.

The Maroondah Festival is proudly presented by Maroondah City Council in conjunction with Ringwood Honda. The festival is held at Town Park, Croydon from 10am to 5pm on Sunday 8 November.

Be sure to visit the festival website www.maroondahfestival.com or contact the festival hotline on 9294 5604 for more information.

2009 Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow

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The Karralyka Centre is Maroondah’s premiere conference and theatrical venue, delivering a diverse theatre season for the enjoyment of Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs.

This evening I attended the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow, which showcased the talents of several comedians that performed as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

The show was most enjoyable, with the comedians performing to a full venue. The calibre of the 2009 theatre season demonstrates the increasing significance of Karralyka within Melbourne’s arts and theatrical scene.

For further information on the 2009 Karralyka Theatre Season please visit www.karralyka.com.au

National Volunteer Week – Afternoon Tea

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National Volunteer Week for 2009 is held between the 11th and 17th of May and Maroondah Council organised an afternoon tea to thank the many volunteers that support older residents within our community.

Maroondah’s Aged and Disability Services is supported through volunteers who assist in programs like Meals on Wheels and the Planned Activity Groups, which encourage social interaction within our community.

Entertainment for the afternoon was kindly provided by the Croydon U3A who demonstrated their line-dancing skills. Attendees were encouraged to participate and I joined some of the other volunteers in attempting to line-dance.

These festivities provided a fun afternoon in which to thank the many volunteers that deliver much needed services and help improve the health and wellbeing of Maroondah’s community.

EPR Activities – Bocci in April

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Enjoying Planned Retirement, a seniors’ group based at the  North Ringwood Senior Citizens Hall holds fortnightly bocci competitions between December and April each year.

Bocci is one of the many social events organised by the group to provide a range of activities for its members.  This afternoon I attended their bocci competition to speak to members of the club and to partake in the event.

I also received an update on EPR’s recently stolen barbecue and the group is proceeding to finalise insurance details so it can be replaced.  It is a shame that a group that encourages social inclusion and provides a wide range of activities to encourage active lifestyles should fall victim to theft.

I was fortunate to be partnered with a fairly strong bocci player and we made it into the semi-finals during this afternoon’s tournament.  EPR has an emphasis on fun, friendship and entertainment and this shines through at each of the groups’ events.

Media Release: Supermarket tantrums at puppet theatre

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Entertain the children these school holidays with a visit to the Karralyka Theatre and enjoy a slapstick puppet show that will make sure that a trip to the supermarket will never be the same again.

Councillor Alex Makin urged families to book soon for the Thursday 9 April School Holiday Entertainment show Check Out! by the Polyglot Puppet Theatre.

“Their puppet tale is about the remarkable adventures of a tantrum throwing baby who is determined to get what she wants,” said Cr Makin.

“Filled with puppetry at its most inventive and cheeky, Baby meets shelf products which come to life, and a mischievous toddler, Speedy, who helps her discover that you need more than just ‘stuff’ to see you through,” said Cr Makin.

Check Out! is a muzak-filled slapstick puppet tale which will ensure that a trip to the supermarket will never be the same again.

Check Out! will be performed at the Karralyka Theatre, Mines Road, Ringwood East (Melways Map 50 A6).

Tickets are $13.50 per person or $45 for a family of four.

For more information or to make a booking contact the Karralyka Centre Box Office on 9879 2933, email karralyka@maroondah.vic.gov.au or visit www.karralyka.com.au

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Media Release: Opening the doors to our youth

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Live entertainment, information and support sessions, a place to hang out and have fun are just some of the exciting things on offer at Maroondah City Council’s EV’s Youth Centre.

Wednesday 4 February will see EV’s Youth Centre open the doors for another year of great activities and services for young people in Maroondah.

Councillor Alex Makin said it is important for Maroondah’s young people to have a comfortable place where they can seek advice on life and social issues as well as a safe place to meet friends.

“With a number of weekly programs aimed at helping Maroondah’s youth to access important resources, build skills for the future, and manage confidence and self esteem issues, EV’s plays an essential role within the City of Maroondah,” said Cr Makin.

“EV”s is a great resource for young people, there are always friendly and qualified youth workers available who are willing to talk about any issue that arises,” said Cr Makin.

Info HQ, the information support and referral program, allows young people to access written information on a broad range of topics and chat with youth workers. The program also provides young people with access to a computer, phone and fax. Info HQ runs each Wednesday from 1pm to 5.30pm.

The Drop In program provides an opportunity for people to meet, have a game of pool, play videos or join in any of the fun activities planned from week to week. The Drop In program runs each Friday afternoon from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

In addition to the programs and great facilities, some of Maroondah’s best musical talent is also showcased at EV’s. The Maroondah FReeZa group have a number of drug, alcohol and smoke free events for all ages coming up in 2009.


EV’s Youth Centre is for young people between the ages of 12 to 25 years. The Centre is located at 212 Mount Dandenong Road, Croydon.

For more information contact Council’s Youth Services team on 9298 4373, email mys@maroondah.vic.gov.au or visit www.evsyouthcentre.com

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Media Release: Enjoy Summer in Maroondah

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Get a copy of Maroondah’s Summer Events Series brochure and make a date with one of the many things to do in Maroondah across the summer months.

Councillor Alex Makin said the calendar of events lists art and craft exhibitions, musical performances, art classes, historic buildings and a number of major community events.

“Wyreena Community Arts Centre has an exhibition by Amanda Ruck commencing on Wednesday 4 February. Enjoy her exquisite collection of paintings capturing the subject of clouds,” said Cr Makin.

“Central Ringwood Community Centre will be holding art classes during the first school term in 2009. Book now to learn the craft of leadlighting or patchwork, or the delicate art of watercolours,” said Cr Makin.

“And if watercolour painting is something you’ve always yearned to try, then the beginner classes at North Ringwood Community House will set you on your way during February and March,” said Cr Makin.

“Come along to the Yarrunga Community Centre with your best voice and join in for an evening of Community Singing on Wednesday 18 March, 2009. They promise a great evening where no singing experience is necessary,” said Cr Makin.

“Balmoral Highland Dancers are holding a highland dancing competition on Saturday 14 March, and Wyreena Music Café begins for 2009 with a range of talented and diverse artists performing on Friday 27 February and 27 March,” said Cr Makin.

Details on these events and many more can be found in Maroondah’s Summer Events Series brochures, available from Council’s Service Centres, the Ringwood and Croydon libraries and other Council facilities. For more information, call Council on 1300 882 233.

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