The Philanthropic Collective

03/11/2026

Our Community Groups…

Before we go a couple more post Halloween acknowledgements. Across so many community groups, too many to mention, children and parents gathered to embrace Halloween on the Green, with the main thrust of on-the-ground manpower support coming from the
Ferny Creek/Sassafras Scouts. For each Halloween, a large arch was constructed over the main road entrance, decorated with large-scale props.

This undertaking was the coming together of Scout parent families and site volunteers to bring the entrance to life. If we were not constructing in the rain, it was dark and cold, but it certainly signalled that the commencement of something exciting and special was about to unfold. The entrance arch solidified the event's opening, which provided the space for our stilt walkers and roving musicians to welcome all to the festival.

In the earlier years, Scouts constructed a rope footbridge as part of their free game’s options. This proved to be a highly coveted experience by hills kids and a further way to recruit.

02/11/2026

Fantastic, no plastic - Proof that any festival can be completely plastic-free.

In our long Halloween goodbyes, it is only fitting that we share a post around sustainability. We proved what’s possible by going entirely waste-free. With the invaluable help of B-Alternative, we provided rice husk plates, bowls, and cups to all vendors, schools, and community groups -preventing a massive amount of waste from ever hitting landfill.

Our incredible volunteers worked tirelessly washing and gathering the crockery for future reuse. While the environmental win was massive, we did experience a 4% loss of our rice husk crockery at our last festival. Disappointingly, our no-questions-asked return amnesty returned not a single item.

Replacing this stock came at a direct financial cost to our community program. However, we chose to absorb that cost to maintain this sustainable loop and preserve all its positive attributes.

The proof of concept remains highly valuable. We proved that a plastic-free festival is completely possible, and we are incredibly proud to have led the way!

01/11/2026

Bendigo Bank…

Post Halloween in would be remis of us not to thank and knowledge our main stayer of our festivals, the incredible sponsorship from Bendigo Bank. Every year, they support our grant applications with absolute faith and trust in how the funds would be allocated. What our local banking sector understands perhaps better than anyone else is how to empower grassroots community groups with real, meaningful support.
There is never a convoluted auspicing process; instead, they have built a relationship based on trust through genuine engagement, which completely sets them apart.

Along with offering any resources required, nothing was ever too much effort to achieve. Their material support - including much-needed marquees - made it to the site and sat proudly flanking each side of our main stage.
We thank the Board of Community Bank Dandenong Ranges for believing in our vision.

A very special thanks to Board Chair Deb Web for co-hosting our best-dressed competition and for supporting us with her Captain’s hat with members from Olinda Fire Brigade. The crew directed traffic at the main entrance of the reserve. When we had no takers to support our traffic management plan in 2024 Deb stepped in with her crew to do a brilliant job.

31/10/2026

Halloween Wash Out…

It is an absolute credit to our organising committee’s foresight and meticulous risk assessment that Halloween on the Green was called off. Looking at the severe weather hitting Mount Dandenong right now - with light thunderstorm rain, a severe afternoon storm warning, and damaging wind risks - proceeding with the outdoor festival today would have been an operational nightmare and a massive safety hazard for people who usually flock to the reserve.

While it is incredibly heartbreaking for all the local trick-or-treat kids, families, and school networks who put their hearts into art projects and props, our decision completely validates why this chapter had to close. Carrying a $50,000 financial risk against Mother Nature in the hills is just too volatile.

We have saved the community from a true washout today, protecting our volunteers, the equipment, and the flawless safety record we built over all those successful, beautiful years. Witches' hats off to the team for prioritizing safety when it mattered most!

Best Dressed…

By far the most enjoyable aspect and an absolute highlight of hosting Halloween was the super creative lengths festivalgoers went to with their costumes. Whether it was families who dressed in a theme together or individuals, this moving art - filled with life and colour - was the real showstopper on the day.
That kind of community energy, creativity, and vibrant, moving art is exactly what made hosting a Halloween event so rewarding. It perfectly captured the magic, community energy, and vibrant atmosphere of the event. Everyone was given a place to shine, culminating in best-dressed finalists chosen by sponsors and a public vote.

29/10/2026

The Fletchers Family Halloween Support…

Fletchers Real Estate – Olinda has been with us from the outset, allocating a yearly budget and endless resources to get us across the line every time. From supersized advertising billboards across the mountain and mountain entry points to collateral ads within their own publications and socials, Fletchers helped us get the word out with the greatest reach possible.

Their financial contributions ensured we could hire the best of community talent, while their staff dressed to perfection, lined up to be dunked, and ultimately took the reins to run the best-dressed competitions with precision.

Never ones to shy away from a good Halloween make-up face, the team always put themselves out there to be our very first Halloween poster pin-ups. This sense of fun and support paved the way for others to join in the poster fun.

We remain truly grateful to the Fletchers clan for believing in an idea and never looking back with support. Thank you to Glenn Gardiner, Scott Allison, Tara Tonkin, super host Jenni Nash, and all the team.

28/10/2026

Our Local Business Sponsors…

Time to enjoy a wonderful walk down memory lane highlighting the incredible connection and playful spirit shared between community events and iconic local operators in the Dandenong Ranges.

Both Miss Marple's Tearoom in Sassafras (proudly managed by Jen - pictured for over two decades) and the local accommodation spots like Candlelight Cottages (Peta Rolls pictured) have long been foundational threads in the local community fabric. Using creative, "expertly transformed" character posters is such a memorable, warm way to celebrate the local business sponsors who kept our beloved Halloween festivals thriving.

Thank you for always supporting our community events.

27/10/2026

Local School Community...

Working in collaboration across our local school and homeschooling communities provided a renewed drive for each Halloween festival. Our school principals, directors, and educators embraced the concept of Halloween, which was extended to students, parents, and grandparents.

There was a palpable buzz generated at all schools as art teachers and parents included the celebration of Halloween into the curriculum. This culminated in discussions around the origins of Halloween while undertaking extensive art projects to provide the site props. It certainly was an explosion of creativity and an enormously positive creative experience for all.

Halloween on the Green also became the main fundraiser for the local schools' community. Each provided their own take on affordable food options, and each delivered a free hosted game for all to enjoy on the day. These free game offerings soon became a further important layer to our free entertainment package, with specific games becoming synonymous with each school.

In the early years of the festival, all monies raised were shared equally across participating schools. As the need grew across our community—particularly for our free food programs post-COVID—funds generated at the event went directly to our Foodbank purchases while attending schools self-fundraised.

The opportunity to self-fundraise provided a sense of ownership across schools, with so many wide and varied options rolled out across the years. Anything theme-related quickly became a selling point, with the only mandated condition being that items were required to be pitched at the lowest entry price point. This was hugely successful as it created further reach and a level playing field for affordability, with larger volumes of produce shared to create the funding opportunities.

Our props were generously housed across many sites, carefully packed away each year to be reimagined for subsequent celebrations. What could be salvaged has now been donated across the community.

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26/10/2026

Yarra Ranges Council…

Achieving and securing funding via community grants was vital to the ongoing success of Halloween on the Green. Without this injection of funds, the festival could never take place. As one of the hardest and most competitive grant opportunities within this space, the very process compels you to sharpen your pitch and fully think through all your processes and concepts.

We thank the many dedicated Council team members who worked tirelessly to support us to get across the line every time. In particular, we acknowledge and thank the grants team, who were always on hand to discuss and offer solutions to barriers to make each year as successful as the last.

During the COVID years, the grants team ensured the full passage of our grant funds could be carried over. This included navigating the breaks between festival years, the 2026 grant funds will be returned.

A great deal of fun was had at Council offices, with Mayors and Councillors given the full Halloween face makeup treatment. These leaders were trailblazers ahead of their time, back when Halloween was not as widespread or popularised as it is today. Their participation and willingness to support the community in this way legitimised our narrative, paving the way to expand our reach and invite both State and Federal politicians to join in the fun.

Our deepest gratitude goes to all past mayors, the Grants team, along with Kellie McPherson and Janette Scott (Community Development Officers | Community Strengthening), and Kelly Toghill (Coordinator Cultural Programs | Economy, Tourism and Culture).

22/10/2026

R.I.P Halloween on the Green 2017 – 2026.

Time to hang up our witches' hats and brooms.

After much consideration and considered risk assessment, we have made the difficult decision to no longer host Halloween on the Green. Our primary challenge has always been Mother Nature and our ever-changing weather. With a production cost of $50,000, the financial risk of a major weather disruption has simply become too great for us to carry.

We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken part over the many years we hosted this event since our inaugural festival in 2017. Halloween on the Green was forged on a simple premise: to offer every child in the Hills a safe space to celebrate, and to give every family the opportunity to participate without financial barriers. For us, this festival was never about money—it was always a gift of love to the community. To ensure no one was left behind, we kept standard entry at just $8.00 and worked closely with the local school principals' network to distribute thousands of free entry passes to families who needed them.

We are proud to say that through meticulous management, the event was always "in the black" before the gates even opened. This financial sustainability allowed us to hold essential seed funding for future festivals while simultaneously routing vital funds toward our free food programs.

Our free, high-end carnival rides and low-cost, nutritious food options perfectly complemented our entertainment packages. Each year, our free entertainment packages were expertly curated to bring renewed life to festival days, accompanied by our staple performers from Fun Arts Creative Entertainment, Circus Ruccis, and the Tanbura Bellydance group. To all our bands and performers, we remain incredibly grateful for your support across the years.

Over the years, the event generated hundreds of thousands of dollars across local schools, community organisations, artisans, stall holders, and food vendors. Behind the scenes, the immense volume of compliance and insurance required across every single participant was a monumental undertaking.

We remain incredibly proud that we brought these events to life while remaining completely plastic-free, operating as carbon-neutral as possible, and leaving little to no carbon footprint on our beautiful green spaces. This came at a significant cost, integrating dedicated volunteers working alongside social enterprise B-Alternative.

Together, we dispelled the myths surrounding Halloween, turning it into a beautiful, meaningful space to honour all those we have lost and loved—including our cherished pet family members. Our minute of silence to reflect on our loved ones remained a powerful moment. We brought the community together to dress up, celebrate local musicians, and dunk a school principal, real estate agent, or local politician in the water tank!

Our site was always dressed to perfection, from the main entrance archway to the surrounding grounds and inside the hall. We loved collaborating with local schools and community groups in hands-on workshops to design and create these decorations together. Bringing the main stage to life was always a monumental achievement for us, and we were incredibly blessed to have the expertise of professional sound engineers alongside backup crews who generously donated their time and equipment pro-bono.

For many, the ultimate highlight was the mayor’s parade in a vintage, horse-drawn hearse, accompanied by stilt walkers, dancers, and musicians. While lying in an open coffin wasn't everyone's cup of tea to begin with, it quickly became a beloved tradition and a source of countless fun photos.

No matter how you chose to celebrate, we loved sharing this journey with you and creating lasting memories. At our peak, we ran free minibus shuttles, mobilised 106 volunteers in a single day across nine community groups and four local schools, and welcomed 9,000 attendees—all without a single incident or injury.

Our sincere thanks go to our major sponsors and partners: Yarra Ranges Council, Optus, Red Cross, Bendigo Bank, Fletchers Olinda, Scouts, the Sassafras/Olinda Fire Brigades, Cameo Cinema – Belgrave, and of course, Le Pine Funerals. Witches' hats off to Victoria Police, Burnham Beeches, Aussie Events and Amusements, Tasty A-Z, and Belgrave Rotary for their unwavering support across each and every iteration of the festival.

You can find a full list of our sponsors and supporters here:
https://halloweenonthegreen.com.au/sponsors

To the many local businesses that offered their constant backing, thank you. We know running a small business is tough, yet you generously contributed over $10,000 each year to our best-dressed prize pool. To our amazing organising committee and volunteers: it has been our absolute privilege to create this magic alongside you.

You can view our gallery here:
https://halloweenonthegreen.com.au/gallery

As we close this chapter, it is not goodbye—just au revoir until we create something new together in the future.

15/10/2026