Spring Fling in North Melbourne

By Val F

As many locals will know, North Melbourne, West Melbourne, and parts of Parkville celebrated the Spring Fling on Sunday the 15th of October. It’s an annual community festival that brings hundreds of people together for music, food, culture, and craft.

The Junior Band from the School Of Living Music

Many bands performed at both the community stage, for amateur artists, and the prestige stage, for established artists. There was also a busker’s stage set up in the middle of Errol St, which is where the majority of the events took place.

Mundo Maya, a store selling handmade Guatemalan and other Central American goods (www.mundomaya.com.au)

Stalls lined the streets selling cultural items, balloons, plants, you name it. Historical mini-museums and charities had incredible support. There were representatives from the Greens Party including Adam Bandt and Ellen Sandell themselves. It’s great to see parties getting involved with their communities, and North/West Melbourne have always had strong connections to the Greens.

Lenggok Geni, a dancing group from Indonesia

At the end of Queensberry St you would find a stage for cultural performances from all over the world. I was lucky enough to talk to Lenggok Geni and ask about their group. They performed three dances: Sekar Jagat from Bali, Nandak from Betawi, and Jaipong from West Java. They go to multicultural festivals, religious events, and other celebrations in Victoria. More about them can be found on their Facebook page.

he suitcase rummage on Raglan St

Arguably the main attraction is the suitcase rummage, where anyone can set up and sell basically anything like a garage sale. Shoes, clothes, original art, custom jackets, books, toys, plants, anything and everything can be found here at incredibly low prices. They might not be in mint condition, but that doesn’t make them any less of a good deal.

Jessica Harris (left) and Ashlea Bechaz (right)

Jessica and Ashlea were selling their original art prints, enamel pins, buttons, and iron on patches at Raglan St. All their stuff is for sale online and they’re open to commissions! More info and art can be found at their instagrams, @ohjessicajessica and @ashleabechaz, which have links to their Etsy stores.

I had a great time performing with my band, meeting lots of new people, learning more about other cultures and North Melbourne’s history, and finding a really nice pair of suede shoes. Errol St is within walking distance of Uni High and on the 57 tram line, so come along next year!