Annual Keast Park Picnic - Sunday 1st February 2026
Join us for a day out enjoyed by generations over the years…
Everyone and anyone is welcome to attend and participate.
Spend a day out near the beach with the whole family and don’t forget to bring your yummy panini and cotolette.
- running races for all ages – with ribbons & medals to be won,
- egg and spoon races,
- sack races’
- 3-legged races
- our traditional watermelon eating contest,
- Men and Women Tug of War competition,
- Miss and Mr Isole Eolie Quest,
- Entertainment
- FREE watermelon,
- a raffle and soo much more…….
FOOD & DRINKS
Please bring your own food and drinks. Some years we have gelato carts and other various food carts. Onsite there is the Crackerjack Restaurant with sit-down and takeaway meals and drinks.
FAQS – IMPORTANT INFORMATION – 2026 PARKING CHANGES
PARKING ARRANGEMENTS
No parking will be permitted on the lawn area.
- Parking is available in the Keast Park car park (maximum fee approximately $13 for the full day, subject to availability).
- Seaford Railway Station car park offers approximately 300 free parking spaces.
- A free shuttle bus will operate between Keast Park and Seaford Railway Station throughout the morning and afternoon from 10 am-5 pm.
– The bus stop will be inside the park near the main entry and clearly signed.
– Distance to the station: 2.3 km south of Keast Park.
– Travel time: approximately 6 minutes by car.
- A drop-off/pickup point will be available near the Carrum Bowls Club building for passengers and picnic/tent equipment.
– Drivers may then proceed to Seaford Railway Station (southern end) and wait for the shuttle bus.
– For departure, drivers can take the shuttle bus back to the station to collect their vehicles.
– Drivers drive back to the drop-off/pickup point at Keast Park to collect their passengers and picnic/tent equipment
TENTS AND GAZEBOS
- Additional space will be available for tents, as the running track will be relocated further south (Where previous years’ cars were parked)
- Metal pegs are not permitted.
- Tents must be secured using sandbags or plastic containers filled with water.
PICNIC DONATIONS AND ENTRY
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- Donations will be pre-paid via Hummantix at https://events.humanitix.com/keastparkpicnic
- If pre-payment is not possible, donations may be made on arrival at the park – please see a member of the committee at the club umbrella near the main tent.
- Suggested donations:
– $10 per adult
– $5 per child
– $25 per family (2 adults – Unlimited children)- On presentation of prepaid tickets, attendees will receive the picnic booklet and green wristbands.
RUNNING TRACK AND MAIN TENT
- The main tent and running track will be located south of the pathway (Where previous years cars could park)
- This will provide additional space for running events.
- The on-site nurse will be located in the main tent.
TABLE, CHAIRS, UMBRELLAS, ETC
We welcome you to bring your own portable tables, chairs and umbrellas.
RESTROOMS
Onsite restrooms are present under the CrackerJack Restaurant.
MISS & MR ISOLE EOLIE QUEST
The quest takes place towards the end of the day at 3:30 pm. During the day please put your name down to be called up.
Every year, the Società Isole Eolie elects a Miss and Mr Isole Eolie at the annual Isole Eolie Picnic in February. It is one of many traditions proudly upheld by the Società.
Youth from 16 years of age are encouraged to nominate themselves to be a representative of the Società Isole Eolie.
A panel of judges evaluates the way contestants present themselves to the Aeolian community and respond to prompts delivered by the host of the competition. Those who place in first, second and third positions are later honoured at the annual Mr and Miss Isole Eolie Dance.
Find out more about its history HERE
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS
For any further questions, please contact us at info@eoliemelbourne.com.au or here
WANT TO SPONSOR ONE OF OUR RACES?
Name a race on behalf of yourself, your family or a passed loved one for only $100.
Contact Us in January to put your name as part of a race.
LIST OF EVENTS
- MEN’S WATERMELON EATING COMPETITION
- WOMEN’S WATERMELON EATING COMPETITION
- BOYS’ WATERMELON EATING COMPETITION
- GIRLS’ WATERMELON EATING COMPETITION
- BOYS’ TINY TOTS – UNDER 3 YEARS SPRINT
- GIRLS’ TINY TOTS – UNDER 3 YEARS SPRINT
- BOYS’ UNDER 5 SPRINT
- GIRLS’ UNDER 5 SPRINT
- BOYS’ UNDER 7 SPRINT
- GIRLS’ UNDER 7 SPRINT
- BOYS’ UNDER 9 SPRINT
- GIRLS’ UNDER 9 SPRINT
- BOYS’ UNDER 11 SPRINT
- GIRLS’ UNDER 11 SPRINT
- BOYS’ UNDER 13 SPRINT
- GIRLS’ UNDER 13 SPRINT
- BOYS’ EGG & SPOON RACE
- GIRLS’ EGG & SPOON RACE
- MEN’S EGG & SPOON RACE
- WOMEN’S EGG & SPOON RACE
- BOYS’ 3-LEGGED RACE
- GIRLS’ 3-LEGGED RACE
- MEN’S 3-LEGGED RACE
- WOMEN’S 3-LEGGED RACE
- BOYS’ SACK RACE
- GIRLS’ SACK RACE
- WOMEN’S SACK RACE
- MEN’S SACK RACE
- WOMEN’S OPEN TUG-OF-WAR
- MEN’S OPEN TUG-OF-WAR
1955 Annual Picnic
2019 70th Anniversary of the Annual Picnic
2020 Keast Park Annual Picnic
A History of our Annual Picnic
1929 – Today
Since its beginning, our community gathers on the first Sunday of February for the annual Società Isole Eolie Family Picnic. A celebration of our cultural heritage, the picnic brings the Aeolian people together and signals the start of a new year of club activities.
The first official event was held in 1929 at Aspendale Racecourse and later moved to Seaford; eventually returning to Aspendale where it remained until the outbreak of World War II.
After the close of the war, the SMSIE officially reconvened in 1948. Meetings were held at the Cavour Club in Cecil Street, South Melbourne. The Tradition of the annual family picnic was restored at Keast Park in Seaford.
At the beginning of the 1950s, the annual family picnic was restored to its pre-war levels of vigour and enthusiasm. Aeolian families once again swarmed to the annual picnic to enjoy a day filled with wholesome fun by sharing homemade Aeolian Foods and participating in the many games and events, such as running races, egg and spoon race, a watermelon-eating competition, a tug-of-war, three-legged race (called Siamese race at one time), jumping sack race, a spaghetti-eating contest and even a little bit of old-fashioned boxing.
Although Keast Park has undergone many face-lifts since the 1950’s the picnic contests continue to be a focus for each new generation. While most of the traditional events continue to feature each year, the tug-of-war, boxing and the spaghetti-eating contests were abandoned at some point. For instance, the tug-of-war was discontinued after a feud developed disputing its winner.
To celebrate the Anniversary of the 70th picnic held at Keast Park in 2019, the tug-of-war and the spaghetti-eating contests were reinstated for the first time in decades.
During the 60s, the popularity of the SMSIE family picnic continued to grow. A whopping 1500 people were recorded to have attended the annual picnic at Keast Park on Sunday, February 9 in 1962.
During a meeting held at the Cavour Club in 1967, the SMSIE committee agrees to the introduction of a Miss Isole Eolie guest to the annual picnic’s proceedings.
The first Miss Isole Eolie was elected in the summer of 1968, but unfortunately, as with many of the following years’ winners, the actual name of ‘La Bella Signorina’, as noted in the committee minutes, was never recorded.
The first recorded winner, Lisa Caponio was elected in 1970 on Sunday the 22nd of February at Keast Park.
In 1971, the quest finished controversially when a non-Italian was declared the winner. The results fuelled a heated discussion at the following general election.
The title of Miss Isole Eolie became a highly-regarded position. The 1976 winner, Rosina Fonti, instigated the visiting of patients at the Royal Children’s Hospital and the 1980 winner Teresa Luca went on to win the Italian Community Miss Charity Princess of that same year.
Unfortunately, in some years bad weather prevented the quest from taking place and a winner was never elected.
The Mr Isole Eolie Contest was introduced in 1996.
In 2011, the construction of the community pavilion at Keast Park required the annual picnic to be transferred to an alternative venue, Elwood Beach. Consequently, a Miss and Mr Isole Eolie were not elected.
Again, in 2016, Keast Park underwent further redevelopment which included improvements to the playground and general park facilities. Though the annual picnic is able to continue, the diminished availability of clear space now provides challenges to the staging of some of the picnic traditional events.
