The Holland Festival was held in Melbourne each year for 40 years until 2014. After a three years hiatus, the Festival returned in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023 and now in 2024. It is managed by the Rotary Club of Casey under the leadership of Paul Rubens.
Holland Festival Management Committee
The Holland Festival Management Committee purpose is operating a cultural festival for the benefit of the community, including people of Dutch heritage and to raise funds for charitable purposes including Rotary community service projects. The Committee is made up of Rotarians plus selected invitees all of whom are volunteers.
The Net Proceeds from the Festival will benefit local charities and not for profit organisations, as well as worthy community groups via the Rotary Club of Casey.
Rotary Club of Casey
The Rotary Club of Casey brings together people of passion, diverse experiences, and perspectives to exchange ideas and take action. They work to empower, educate, and develop youth, to build goodwill and understanding between cultures, communities, and countries. Through these initiatives, Rotary aims to promote peace, resolve conflicts, prevent and treat disease, improve sanitation, improve maternal and child health, and to develop economies and communities.
In 2017 members of Rotary decided to bring the Holland Festival back to life and 2017 saw the first new festival. It then returned in 2019 & 2020 until Covid stopped it for 2 years. It returned in 2023 and will run again in 2024 at a new, better and bigger venue.
The Festival in 2024
The Holland Festival was held on the 27th of April 2024 at “The Event Centre – Caribbean Gardens – Scoresby” in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne about 25km from the CBD. The site has 45,000sqm of parklands, a beautiful lake, parking for 4000cars and an 8,000sqm indoor space. The site is adjacent to the Eastern Freeway.
The festival was completely run indoors (Weatherproof). There were many stallholders with a wonderful range of mainly Dutch foods and other Dutch items. There was a ‘kermis’ for the kids and a sjoelbak competition and multiple exhibitions (including one organised by the DACC using the exhibition banners of the
The Holland Festival was held on the 27th of April 2024 at “The Event Centre – Caribbean Gardens – Scoresby” in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne about 25km from the CBD. The site has 45,000sqm of parklands, a beautiful lake, parking for 4000cars and an 8,000sqm indoor space. The site is adjacent to the Eastern Freeway.
The festival was completely run indoors (Weatherproof). There were many stallholders with a wonderful range of mainly Dutch foods and other Dutch items. There was a ‘kermis’ for the kids and a sjoelbak competition and multiple exhibitions (including one organised by the DACC using the banners of the People Movement Stories Exhibition). On stage there was also mainly Dutch music featuring the Dutch choir Zing, an accordion band, the van Tongeren sisters and the DJ Xtralars from the Netherlands.
The committee is already thinking about the 2025 festival for more info: info@hollandfestival.org.au
See also: the history of the Rubens Family and their Rubsons business
