Little Food Festival 2022
Everyone’s favourite festival, the Little Food Festival returns to Fed Square on Wednesday 20th April and Thursday 21st April, after a short hiatus. Aimed to connect the dots for kids between our food, its supply chain and its relationship to the health of our bodies and the planet, the Little Food Festival brings a jam-packed program of workshops, performances and demonstrations to the heart of the city that will make food fun!
For two days, Fed Square will be the destination for family-friendly foodie activity within The Farm, The Hub, The Grocer, The Table and The Compost, with each activation zone dedicated to an element of the food system; production, distribution, retail, consumption and waste.
Well-known foodies will take to Fed Square’s main stage to demonstrate fun and easy ways to celebrate food, while kids will be encouraged to scribble down their rambles, big ideas or drawings about the future of food on giant colouring poles. Melbourne Farmers Markets’ stallholders will be there with produce stalls, and local food vans will satisfy hungry bellies with tasty, fresh and diverse dishes throughout the day.
The Little Food Festival is brought to you by the Sandro Demaio Foundation, Monash University, and Fed Square with major partners the Gandel Foundation and The City of Melbourne.
Little Food Festival 2022 Highlight Video
Little Food Festival 2022 Promo
2022 Program
Main Stage Day 1
10am: Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony
11am: Cooking demonstration by primary school students who participated in OzHarvest FEAST
12pm: Junkyard Beats turns ordinary kitchen utensils into musical instruments to get bodies moving
1pm: Amie Harper, nutritionist, food scientist and author sharing her lunchbox tips and hacks!
2pm: Unwind with a special food-themed yoga class for the whole family
2.45pm: Winner announced of sumptuous food experience at renowned Point Leo Estate on Mornington Peninsula, thanks to Major Supporting Partner, Gandel Foundation (all attendees who complete a survey at the ‘Kids for change’ station will go into lucky draw to win the $200 dining voucher)
3pm: Families can kick-back for a free film on Fed Square’s big screen as the festival wraps up.
Main Stage Day 2
10am: Acknowledgement of Country and performance by Djirri Djirri Dance Group
11am: Cooking demonstration by primary school students who participated in OzHarvest FEAST
12pm: Junkyard Beats turns ordinary kitchen utensils into musical instruments to get bodies moving
1pm: Amie Harper, nutritionist, food scientist and author sharing her lunchbox tips and hacks!
2pm: Unwind with a special food-themed yoga class for the whole family
2.45pm: Winner announced of sumptuous food experience at renowned Point Leo Estate on Mornington Peninsula, thanks to Major Supporting Partner, Gandel Foundation (all attendees who complete a survey at the ‘Kids for change’ station will go into lucky draw to win the $200 dining voucher)
3pm: Families can kick-back for a free film on Fed Square’s big screen as the festival wraps up.
Little Food Festival Activation Zones
Learn how to plant your own seedling with Bunnings to take home with you and meet the team from the United African Farm to learn more about traditional African produce and how their community farm is bringing people together.
In the game Food Miles, planned by teachers from Monash University, explore how far food has travelled to reach our plates and get a photo in front of the iconic yellow food rescue van, and meet a food rescue hero from OzHarvest.
Test your memory in a game by Monash University featuring up-sized “ugly” but delicious produce and get a pic with the team at Vic Kids Eat Well and learn about their mission to boost delicious and healthy food and drink options in places where kids learn, live and play.
Beloved Melbourne artist Beci Orpin teams up with homewares and bedding company, Kip&Co, to lead a colourful, food-related craft workshop enabling kids to express their food culture and stories. You can also join the team from Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation to make your own tasty rice paper rolls – be sure to harvest your own herbs from “The Farm” first!
Get solutions-focused and use science to make food last longer and reduce unnecessary waste as part of the Monash University STEM Leftovers Lab. You can also test your speed and recycling know-how with Veolia’s recycling relay race!
A chill out zone for kids to choose books about food, sustainability, health and community and have fun. Special Storytimes at 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm in City of Melbourne’s Pop-up Library.
Peckish after all this food-related activity and learning? Don’t forget to pop into the Little Food Market to taste and take home locally farmed delights and produce from a range of impressive market stalls, thanks to Melbourne Farmers Markets.
Learn more about Monash University’s involvement with Little Food Festival here:
Take a look at some of the great animations created by Monash University students about food systems for the Little Food Festival:
Can’t attend the Little Food Festival in person? We’ve prepared an online taste right here for you:
We know that not everyone will be able to attend the Little Food Festival this year so we’ve got some perfect online resources and activities to keep the kids occupied during school holidays, or a rainy weekend!
Founding Partners:
Major Supporting Partner:
Event Partner:
Activation Partners:
