Spring Fling Grassland Festival promises delight in Melbourne's west
Victorian National Parks Association
Hosted by the Grassy Plains Network and Victorian National Parks Association, this free event is running from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sunday 11 October 2026, beside the Iramoo Wildflower Grassland Reserve in St Albans. There’ll be food, music, a grasslands-style Bhangra dance performance, market stalls, native plant giveaways and the ever-popular Grassland Games for kids. A free guided tour of the Iramoo reserve, in full spring bloom, will be the highlight of the day.
Once dominating the landscape across Melbourne's west, stretching from the Yarra River (Birrarung) to the South Australian border, Victoria's grasslands are now among the most threatened landscapes on the continent. Precious pockets like Iramoo are home to an extraordinary rare and threatened wildlife, like Striped Legless Lizards, Growling Grass Frogs, Victorian Grassland Earless Dragons, Spiny Rice-flowers and Golden Sun Moths. Weeds, mismanagement and urban development continue to threaten what's left. And that’s exactly why days like this are important.
Grassy Plains Network Facilitator Dr Adrian Marshall said the festival is a chance to bring the whole community together to celebrate gorgeous grassy meadows.
‘Grasslands are the defining landscape of Melbourne's west, cared for throughout millennia by First Nations people,’ Dr Marshall said. ‘They were vast plains of flowing meadows, alive with amazing wildlife. Let's celebrate what we have, and come together to protect these remarkable places.’
‘Grasslands can provide common ground for the many communities across Melbourne's west, building local identity,’ he said.
The festival brings together local nature groups and networks, Brimbank's diverse communities, and grassland lovers of every stripe for an afternoon of grassy fun. It's proof that with community action, nature groups and good government policy, the decline of these remarkable places can be turned around.
Spring Fling is held in conjunction with the Green Lab at Iramoo and NatureWest, and is proudly sponsored by Brimbank City Council.
Event details:
What: Spring Fling Grassland Festival 2026
When: 12 noon - 4:00 pm, Sunday 11 October 2026
Where: Iramoo Wildflower Grassland Reserve, St Albans (next to Iramoo Native Plant Nursery)
Cost: Free
More info: www.vnpa.org.au/springfling
Photos available on request.
About us:
About us:
Victorian National Parks Association are an effective and influential nature conservation charity. We've led the creation, protection and defence of nature in Victoria for over 70 years.
VNPA advocates for evidence-based policy to safeguard wildlife, habitats and protected areas. We inspire connections with nature through citizen science, activities, community action and education.
We're an independent, non-government, for purpose and membership-based charity.