The Victorian Seniors Festival (VSF) is a week-long celebration for seniors held each year. It includes hundreds of free or low cost events, forums and activities, across Victoria, as well as free public transport for Victorian Seniors Card holders.

The 2006 Victorian Seniors Festival will run from Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 October 2006.

The Victorian Seniors Festival (VSF) is a week-long celebration for seniors held each year. It includes hundreds of free or low cost events, forums and activities, across Victoria, as well as free public transport for Victorian Seniors Card holders.

Who

For the purpose of the Festival, seniors are defined as people 60 years and over who are not in full time employment. The Victorian Seniors Card establishes these eligibility criteria for entry into VSF events. Entitlement of entry to many of the free and heavily discounted events is by the Victorian Seniors Card.

The Festival is a State Government initiative and benefits from generous contributions from business, the arts, heritage organisations, sporting and recreational bodies, all municipal councils and over 2,000 community groups.

Why

The Festival aims to recognise the valuable contribution older people have made and continue to make to our community.
The purpose of the Victorian Seniors Festival is to promote a positive attitude to ageing amongst the whole community, and seniors too, but specifically the aim is to:

  • increase awareness and generate positive recognition of senior Victorians;
  • communicate key festival themes and healthy and active living, to Victoria’s 900,000 seniors, their families and friends as well as the wider community;
  • maximise participation in the Festival at local and regional levels;
  • raise awareness of the Government’s role in the Festival and the regard in which it holds older Victorians;
  • provide tangible recognition of the contribution of seniors to society
  • foster greater community understanding of seniors’ interests and concerns
  • promote Go for your life.

Free Public Transport

Country

The V/LineFestival transport days are:

  • Saturday 30 September
  • Tuesday 3 October
  • Wednesday 4 October
  • Thursday 5 October
  • Saturday 7 October.

As is usual, tickets will have to be booked on these lines:

  • Melbourne - Albury
  • Melbourne - Sale
  • Melbourne - Swan Hill

Bookings will be restricted to one return journey for up to four persons. There are a number of longer distance coach routes where bookings are necessary and seniors are advised to check with V/Line.

Seniors planning to travel in large parties of 10 or more people on non-booked lines are asked to advise V/Line to ensure that seats will be available.

Free travel is also available on selected local regional bus services.
V/Line has yet to announce the date that bookings will open however bookings will be restricted to one return journey for up to four persons. For further information contactV/Line.
Selected regional bus services are free from Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 October.

Metropolitan

Metropolitan trams, buses and trains will be free from Sunday 1 October to Sunday 8 October. Make sure you travel with your Victorian Seniors Card.

Active Living Grants Scheme

In 2006 the Office of Senior Victorians will be running an Active Living Grants scheme once again. Funding is given to every Local Government Authority in Victoria to run their own festival celebrations in your municipality. Please contact your local Council festival co-ordinator if you would like to get involved in your community.

Victorian Seniors Festival

Program Entry Criteria

  1. Your proposed event must be open to all seniors in Victoria who hold a Victorian Seniors Card.
  2. Your event should fall within the Festival dates of 1-8 October. However, if need be, your event can be held in the week either side of the Festival.
  3. Your event should offer a special deal for seniors in celebration of the Festival. i.e. either free, low cost, buy one – get one free, subsidised in some way.
  4. Your event promotion should carry acknowledgement of VSF as a Victorian State Government initiative.
  5. Should be submitted via an online application form for inclusion in the Seniors Festival program.

Further promotion of your event

Your involvement is important to the Festival and to Victoria’s seniors. If you have an interesting angle on your event, particularly healthy and active living themes, please let the Office of Senior Victorians know in case they can develop extra promotion for you. Festival events will also be promoted in major newspapers, on radio and in various seniors’ newspapers. The Office of Senior Victorians also ask that you promote your event in other media publications aside from the VSF program/website. In this way seniors will be able to find out about your event in a variety of ways.

For further enquiries regarding the Victorian Seniors Festival please contact the Office of Senior Victorians on 9208 3333.