The Alien Invasion themed Gala Parade begins at 11am on Saturday March 20, 2027.
We invite dancers, school floats, marching bands, classic cars, special guests, and more make their way down the High Street of Eaglehawk as part of this annual event.
To join the parade download and complete the application form from here.
Downloaded the terms and conditions from here.
Eaglehawk Dahlia and Arts Gala Parade Terms and Conditions
Gala parade theme
Each year we have a ‘theme’ for our festival. We encourage each entry to follow our theme.
Eligibility
Parade entrants must be a school or community group, or a not-for-profit organisation.
Parade entrants must be non-political, and offensive behaviour will not be tolerated.
If you are an individual or groups with no public liability, you are ineligible to apply.
All parade entrants must be incorporated and/or have own public liability insurance. If
your group is not incorporated, you will require an auspicing body.
If you are a Business / Commercial group, you must work with a school or community
group to be eligible for consideration to participate in the Parade. We encourage
partnerships between Business / Commercial groups to join with school groups and /or
community groups and vice versa.
Insurance
All entrants must have their own public liability insurance to the value of five million dollars or
more.
Parade content
The Eaglehawk Dahlia & Arts Festival Parade is a community parade. This is an opportunity
for community groups to showcase and express themselves.
Whilst we encourage and support individual expression of its diverse community, please be
mindful that the Gala Parade is a family event, and we urge you to dress and behave
responsibly for the enjoyment of all people.
If you are unsure of the content and representation of your entry, please consult with the
Festival Parade Coordinator prior to completing this form – phone: 0400 736 329.
Safety
To ensure the safety of parade entrants and the audience, The Eaglehawk Dahlia & Arts
Festival event personnel will be present at the parade assembly to inspect all vehicles and
parade entries for safety. The event personnel have the authority to request alteration and
removal of dangerous or unsound components of any parade entry including vehicles.
Your entry will not be permitted in the parade if you fail to comply with the requests from the
event personnel.
Children and elderly participants
Due to the distance of the parade route, children under twelve 12 years old and the
elderly are advised against walking the parade route, it would be advisable to sit them on a
trailer or in a vehicle.
Children must always be accompanied by an adult (ratio of 7 children to 1 adult). Please
wear appropriate shoes for walking.
Parade participants
Each entry can have a maximum number of 40 people.
Please notify the Eaglehawk Dahlia & Arts Festival Parade Coordinator prior to the parade, if
you intend to have more than 40 people in your entry.
Banners
Each entry must have a designated banner holder. Banners will be supplied for each entry
and must be placed in front of the entry. Due to the length of the parade route, the weather
and wind factor on the day, please consider adults instead of children to hold the banner. We
also suggest that you consider providing relieve holders to assist throughout the parade
route.
Hats, sunscreen and water
Please be responsible for your own hats, sunscreen and drinking water during parade
assembly and while travelling on the parade route.
Extreme weather plan
The Eaglehawk Dahlia & Arts Festival monitors the weather leading up to the days of the
festival.
In the event of extreme weather –
All parade entrants should follow their own parade risk assessment to determine whether
to withdraw from the parade or not.
The Eaglehawk Dahlia & Arts Festival President, along with the parade coordinator will
undertake a risk assessment on the day prior to determine whether it should continue. If a
decision is made, that the parade is to be cancelled or delayed, this will be posted on the
festival website and media platforms.
Extreme weather can be defined as including, but not limited to, continuous and ongoing
high winds, heat, thunder & lightning, storms, torrential rain.
Animals
Please firstly consult with the parade coordinator before entering animals in the parade.
Experienced persons must accompany their dogs and always keep them under effective
control. Aggressive dogs will be removed from the parade.
All parade entries featuring animals are responsible for providing their own water and waste
collection along the parade route.
For safety reasons, it is not suitable to enter horses (with or without riders) in the Eaglehawk
Dahlia & Arts Festival Gala Parade due to the assortment of loud noises and music in the
parade route.
Giveaways
Parade entrants are NOT permitted to hand out giveaways IN ANY FORM. Failure to comply
with this may result in immediate dismissal from the parade.
No collection of donations on the parade route is permitted
Music
We encourage all non - instrumental entries to provide their own portable music, to help
create atmosphere along the parade route.
All entries will be monitored at the parade assembly as to the appropriate level of sound of
each float, parade staff have the authority to request very loud music to be turned down to
an acceptable level.
Please note that while every care is taken in assembling the order of entries in the parade,
sometimes it is not unusual for entries with noise to travel side by side.
Breakdown of parade entry and emergencies
At all times, parade entrants are to notify the Dragon City Marshals of any problems with
vehicles or people in the parade. The Dragon City Marshals will assess the situation and
take appropriate action to resolve the problem, while minimizing impact to the flow of the
entire parade.
Photography
Please be informed that you and your group may be photographed during the Eaglehawk
Dahlia & Arts Festival Gala Parade, and these images may be used in future Eaglehawk
Dahlia & Arts Festival promotional and marketing materials, including social media platforms.
If your group is taking photos along the parade route, you must not stop and hold up the
parade whilst photo is being taken.
Judging
Parade entries are judged by independent judges and members of the Eaglehawk Festivals
Inc committee. The criteria that will be considered are creativity, colour, music, movement
and relevance to the theme and nominated categories. The judge’s decision is final. All
winners will be notified via the Eaglehawk Festivals Inc website.
Vehicles
Please note that all motor vehicles must be road registered. Those that are not must obtain
and clearly display an unregistered vehicle permit from Vic Roads. (Please enclose a copy of
this permit with your entry form)
Vehicles participate in the parade at their own risk
We encourage all vehicles to be decorated as a celebration of your entry.
Types of vehicles
For the safety of the audience along the parade route, only the following sizes of vehicles
are permitted in the parade.
Each vehicle must be within the maximum dimensions –
Length (12.50m), Width (2.4m), and Height (4.3m).
Motor car – including limousines, sedans and 4-wheel drives.
Ute and Trailer.
SES and Fire Brigade trucks.
Rigid tray truck only (No articulated vehicles [Semi-trailers])
Under no circumstances should any trucks be towing a trailer e.g. Prime Mover with trailers.
Types of vehicles
No semi-trailers, no waste trucks and no service vehicles.
Drivers of vehicles
Victoria Police may conduct a security check of drivers prior to the parade in the form
of name and vehicle registration check. All drivers are to have ZERO alcohol and drug
reading. (No consumption of alcohol at least 12 hours prior)
Victoria Police have the right to breathalyse parade entrants at random on the day.
Only drivers, who registered in the Parade Entry form, are permitted to drive the
vehicle during the parade.
Each entry must designate a primary driver and nominate a ‘respondent driver’. These
two drivers must travel in the same vehicle at all times, during the parade. Both the
driver and the nominated ‘respondent driver’ are required to provide their drivers
details when asked in the assembly area.
If there is a change to the nominated driver please inform the Parade Manager
immediately.
All entries are to adopt all the appropriate safety measures and ensure that safety of
the audience and the participants are maintained at all times.
Helmets must be worn at all times, when riding on roller skates, motorcycles,
bicycles, and three-wheeler motorbikes.
Seat belts must be worn at all times in vehicles.
No using mobile phones while driving on the road.
Additional fixtures on your entry such as decorative panels, flags, furniture, lighting
or generators must be safe and properly secured.
When you are not in your vehicle the keys must be removed and the car locked whilst
in the assembly area.
Dispersal
Parade entries are only allowed to disperse in designated areas, guided by the Dragon City
Marshals and Parade Staff.
Failure to follow the above instructions will compromise future participation.
Dispersing while on the parade route is NOT allowed unless in an emergency.
When required, entries with students & passengers may park their vehicles in the designated
dispersal area …to ensure the safe drop off of passengers at the end of the parade.
If you do not require dropping off your passengers, please notify our Marshals and Parade
staff, and we will direct you to continue leaving along Sailors Gully Road.
Dragon City Marshals and other parade personnel
At all times, please follow the instructions of Dragon City Marshals and Parade Staff. Under
any emergency situation, please follow instructions of Emergency Services.