18 Oct, 2015

Picnic In Elder - Celebrating 175 Years

City of Adelaide’s 175th Anniversary will be marked with a very special community picnic celebration in Elder Park on Saturday 31 October, between 11am and 4pm and everyone is invited, so grab a picnic hamper and rug and join in the fun.

Picnic in Elder will feature live entertainment by Adelaide’s own The Audreys and the City of Adelaide Pipe Band, as well as Tom West, Alphabette, with roving performers from Bamboozled Productions.

Families and friends can pre-order custom-made Picnic in Elder hampers, created by well-known local catering company Sprout, showcasing some of Adelaide’s finest produce or bring their own picnic basket.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese is inviting people from all over to join in the celebration at Picnic in Elder, the flagship event for the City of Adelaide’s 175th year celebrations.

“The Picnic in Elder event will feature historic re-enactments and demonstrations from the late 1800s, as well as theatrical and live musical performances,” said Martin.

“As this free event will have an historical theme set in the late 1800s, I’m encouraging people to help re-create the atmosphere of a 19th Century carnival by joining me in dressing up in period costume.

“You’ll see old fashioned games and activities, with the Rotunda and our fantastic Riverbank being central to the event,” Martin said.

Activities for picnic goers include horse and cart rides, penny farthing bike rides, and sack races for the young at heart. There will also be indigenous performances, boomerang designing and weaving workshops, as well as Aboriginal language lessons.

Set on the banks of the River Torrens in historic Elder Park, people can enjoy a beautiful picnic and a range of exciting entertainment, with the Elder Park Rotunda providing a main stage for feature acts.

Community groups and organisations supporting Picnic in Elder include Tauondi College, The Queen Adelaide Society, Pioneers Association and the Victoriana Society.

Picnic baskets can be pre-ordered through the Picnic in Elder website, or pack a hamper from home, bring a rug and get ready for an afternoon celebrating the history of the City of Adelaide.

Go to cityofadelaide.com.au/picnicinelder for more information.

Rebecca Draysey