The free event offers live music, a record fair, craft markets, food trucks and so much more.
Melbourne loves many things, but right up there on the list is free music festivals and markets. The Hidden Gem is a new initiative that exploits this love (in a good way), showcasing some of the best artists in the Dandenong region, for free, on November 22nd and 23rd.
The idea was formed by the West Alchemy Collective, a collection of business owners, residents and artists passionate about shining a light on the talent in their community. We caught up with West Alchemy president, co-founder and artist Kate Winterton, local business owner and West Alchemy Collective committee member Leah Chatgoglou, and Hidden Gem Festival director Jessica Robinett to learn more about the free festival and how it came to be.
Hidden Gem Festival
- November 22-23
- 10am-7pm daily
- 71 Hemmings Street, Dandenong West
- Free entry, all ages, family-friendly
The lineup
- Skybelly
- Charlie Needs Braces
- The Pleasures
- Delsinki & The Quiet Henchman
- The Deans Of Soul
- Sugar Fed Leopards
- Ruby & The Clumsy Dollies
- Ferguson Rogers Process
- One Spirit Africa
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Part market, part music festival
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Hidden Gem comes at a time when the cultural growth of Dandenong is in full swing. The South East Melbourne Artists Development Program, through GRID, provides valuable support to talented musicians from the outer suburbs of Melbourne.
Part market, part music festival, Hidden Gem looks to bring the community together and showcase the diversity of the arts scene around Dandenong. As Robinett explains, “We really want to showcase what Hemmings Street and the surrounding areas have to offer and just bring people out of their houses.”
“We’re pretty fortunate here on the west side of Dandenong. We have people from all over the world who live here.” Winterton adds. “The businesses are quite diverse, as is the food. Different business owners who have different life stories come here for various reasons. We are supporting local small businesses in a creative space where a range of artists really have a chance to be seen. Ultimately, we all kind of click together and it really does work.”
A wonderful local lineup
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The Hidden Gem runs over one blissful weekend, with a local music lineup spearheaded by Ferguson Rogers Process, and a mash-up of members from You Am I and The Bamboos, One Spirit Africa, Ruby & the Clumsy Dollies, and loads more.
As Robinett explains, “This kind of music in a multicultural community is really important. It allows for diversity and culture to emerge in an area that most people may not have thought of before.”
“We didn’t want a solely hard rock lineup; we wanted something that everybody could enjoy, something a bit different. We’ve got everything from The Pleasures, who are predominantly country, to Delsinki & The Quiet Coachman, who do their own brand of funky country rock. Then you’ve got Lance Ferguson, who’s phenomenal with bringing the soul and the funk and a great First Nation bands like The Deans of Soul. There’s also Sky Belly, who are an up-and-coming, awesome punk band. A lot of detail went into making the lineup have a discovery element that is showing off this scene.”
The West Alchemy Collective is working on other projects in Dandenong, including a community garden and creative space where artists of all disciplines can hone their crafts, many of whom will be featured on the stage and in the stalls at Hidden Gem. “We have a partnership with Connection Arts Spaces, a local community group that will be running various artist workshops at the festival, and also running an art auction,” explains Robinett.
Hidden Gem will be a great sampling plate, celebrating the variety of truly magic features of the Dandenong area.
Chatgoglou mentions, “We’ve got record stores down here, artists, tabletop gaming stores, the Dandenong Market, where you can always find something.”
The Hidden Gem Festival and Market takes place on November 22nd and 23rd at 71 Hemmings Street, Dandenong. Free entry.
This article was made in partnership with Hidden Gem Festival.
