The major statewide festival for Victorians over 60, the Victorian Seniors Festival focuses on providing fun and good times with opportunities to participate in events and activities for free or low cost throughout October each year.

The Victorian Government, through the Seniors, Carers and Elder Abuse Reform branch in the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, coordinates the festival and works closely with all 79 local councils. The festival also works with community and cultural organisations, and commercial partners to coordinate and promote activities and events for senior Victorians in their local area.

This annual festival returns on 1 October 2023 and features:

• live and local events across the state, delivered by local councils, community groups and clubs
• eight days of free public transport for Victorian Seniors Card Holders from 1 to 8 October 2023
• return of flagship events held in Melbourne’s CBD and regional Victoria including:
  • Celebration Day at Federation Square on Sunday 1 October, 1.00 – 7.00 pm.
    This event will launch the festival with a 6-hour line-up of free entertainment and activities for older Victorians
  • Town Hall Dances at Melbourne Town Hall on Monday 2 October from 12:00 noon and Hawthorn Town Hall on Friday 6 October from 7:00 pm
  • ACMI Seniors Film Festival at the Australian Centre of the Moving Image from 2 – 8 October
  • Country Tour delivering live entertainment across regional towns in October
  • Aged Care Tour, taking the magic, music and fun of the festival to aged care residents across Victoria throughout September and October.

The Flood Recovery Program aims to build resilience for those communities that have been impacted by the October 2022 floods, This includes senior community members whose farms, businesses, families and residences may have been impacted.

This year Council wanted to increase participation by offering FREE lunches for seniors at more towns across the Shire. The flood recovery team saw the seniors lunches as a great opportunity to help deliver the "People and Wellbeing" outcome of the Murrindindi Flood Recovery Plan and to launch the Reflections on Resilience Project.

Natural disasters are not a new occurrence. Our senior residents have had a lot of experience in battling natural disasters, they have much to share with us on resilience in difficult times. Reflections on Resilience will form part of an uplifting collection of stories on disaster recovery over a series of happenings within living memory.
if you would like to share your flood story and get involved please call Vee Scott on 5772 0333 or email vscott@murrindindi.vic.gov.au

Murrindindi Shire Council gratefully acknowledges the financial support for this event, which was made possible by the Australian Government and the Victorian State Government through the jointly funded Disaster Relief Funding Arrangements