Kalorama Chestnut Festival

The Kalorama Chestnut Festival is a beloved Dandenong Ranges community event that has been running for over 30 years.

Come with your friends and family and enjoy all things chestnut with food and festivities planned throughout the day.

The Festival has been running for over 30 years and has become a local institution. It’s a much-loved family day out for the local community and visitors seeking a taste of autumn in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges.

Behind the Festival is a dedicated group of Mount Dandy parents, caregivers, and educators who are passionate about our kids and community. They volunteer their time to pick, sort, and roast chestnuts, coordinate stalls and entertainment, seek sponsors, spread the word, and do all the other things involved in running a festival!

Each year, a new generation of local families takes the reins, lovingly carrying on the Chestnut Festival traditions and introducing just a hint of something new.

When you attend, explore the diverse range of stalls showcasing locally made handicrafts and produce:

• Delicious roasted chestnuts
• Poffertjes
• Homemade cakes
• Sausage sizzle
• Local restaurant food stalls
• Mulled wine
• Coffee, tea and chai
• Local handmade crafts
• Local produce

At the heart of the Festival is the chestnut itself—a humble and underutilised nut that can be found in abundant supply throughout the Hills. Chestnuts have been grown in Australia for over 100 years. They are synonymous with autumn for the Hills community—the familiar smell of roadside chestnut roasting stalls is a special reminder of the changing seasons.

Local families come together each year for picking days, where everyone trudges out to a local chestnut farm and collects this year’s harvest. This is followed up by another fun night (for parents only!) where we peel these notoriously tricky – and prickly – little things! The power of this humble nut in bringing together the community is something to behold.

So come up to Mt Dandenong for this unique autumn event and then stay for dinner. Dress warmly, as it can get cold during the evenings and let the chestnuts and the mulled wine keep you warm!