Yeppoon and Emu Park host several large beach front events each year bringing thousands to the shoreside for the entertainment, markets and festival atmosphere. Each of our festivals and events are unique and wonderful and you’re quite welcome to bring your sun lounges and soak up the scene from the comfort of your proverbial or rock out with your voila tout. If you’re visiting during these times make sure you book your accommodation early.
Free Festivals and Events in Yeppoon and Emu Park
Great Australia Day Beach Party
When: January 26, Every Year. Where: Yeppoon Foreshore Main stage – Facebook Page
Held on the Yeppoon foreshore, this event attracts up to ten thousand people annually. People bring their camp chairs, picnic blankets and eskies and plonk themselves down at the main stage for hours on end watching 12 hours of non-stop entertainment. There’s beach fun activities including sandcastle building competitions, which get pretty competitive, bare bottom boat races, and some years lollies fall from the sky. The ice-cream eating competition is something else and on one of the hottest days of the year who wouldn’t want to scoff down something cool and sweet? A day when everyone shares the love of our coastal lifestyle, you can be guaranteed a party.
Keppel Sands Krabtastic
When: March Where: Keppel Sands – Facebook Page
The Krabtastic Festival is hit and miss. Some years it’s on an some it’s not. And when something is run by volunteers that’s A-Okay. Last years though was a “Tropical Themed Magical Family Fun Day with Crab Events, Fantastic Food and Drinks and a focus on Arts and Culture” and had a massive turnout. If you’re into crab racing and beer drinking this is the event for you!
Festival of the Winds
When: Approx. Easter Holidays March/April, when the wind is blowing. Where: Bell Park, Emu Park. – Facebook Page
Festival of the Wind is a family kite festival held in Emu Park. It is held around Easter when the weather & moon are right for large stretches of sand and good winds. Bell Park is filled with market stalls, food vans, kids rides and entertainment. Whilst the beach is load with blow karts, kites, sandcastles and people! An amazing event run by the Emu Park Lions Club who truely do the best burgers.
Beef to Beach
When: June Where: Bell Park, Emu Park
A great opportunity for a family get together this free fun afternoon for everyone to enjoy and celebrate all things that are so great about Queensland. Their stage program features local acts from the Capricorn Coast including singers, dancers, drummers from schools and community groups. There’s a big beef BBQ, market stalls, free kids rides and activities, fruit salad eating competition and skateboarding workshops. A great day out if you’re looking for quality family time without having to do anything yourself.
The Village Festival
When: August. Where: Multi venue program but foreshore main stage is where the main act is Saturday night. – Website
This family friendly event is now held over two weeks throughout various venues and locations in town, with the main beach stage packed full of talent on the Saturday. With past headline acts the likes of Ella Hooper, The Whitlam’s, Tripod and the Hoodoo Gurus you’ll definitely enjoy some fine tunes and perhaps even find yourself up dancing. The Village Festival also supports a showcase of new and emerging musicians, cabaret, street theatre, performance art, markets stalls and food trucks. Our tranquil mild winters are the perfect time of year for this event where you can spend the day in your shorts and shirt enjoying the ocean views all day and only have to throw on a jumper for the nights entertainment.
Beach Day Out
When: September Where: Bell Park, Emu Park – Facebook Page
The Beach Day Out is held during Disability Action Week and it’s all about breaking down stereotypes and promoting positive attitude towards those with a disability. The all inclusive event aims to provide a fun day at the beach for the whole community, and in particular for people with a disability who may ordinarily have difficulty in easily accessing such an event. Over 3000 people join in the fun annually to highlight issues and improve community support. The event provides a wide range of free, inclusive activities that are engaging and fun for persons with a whole range of abilities.
Yeppoon Lions Tropical Pinefest
When: October Where: Friday night and Saturday the fun happens on the beach front. The street parade (yes these still happen!) on Sunday is down the main drag, James Street. However there are whisperings that it’ll be held all on the Saturday this year – Facebook Page
A weekend long event, Friday night you’ll enjoy a starlight viewing in the outdoor cinema set up on the lush grassy foreshore amphitheatre and twilight markets in the car park. Saturday sees the Yeppoon Lions’ Pinefest Beach Fiesta on the Yeppoon Foreshore with main stage flowing with an entertaining family stage program, markets stalls, rides, fireworks and the traditional Grand Pinefest Street Parade.
Emu Park Fishing Classic
When: September Where: Pine Beach Hotel, Emu Park – Facebook & Website for nominations
Whilst not free to enter the comp, it’s only a donation to hang out and watch the weigh-ins all day and the band and other entertainment at night. If you are inclined to throw in a line there is impressive prize packages to be won if you do enter. The event is run by volunteers gifting their proceeds to the RACQ Rescue Helicopter, Coast Guard and Emergency Services.
Carols By Candlelight
When: December Where: Yeppoon beach front on the main stage – Facebook Page
Under the stars at the Yeppoon Foreshore, people come together in the spirit of Christmas to sing and enjoy a line up of local talent whilst they wait for Santa to arrive and the fireworks to go off. There are twilight market stalls to browse and best you get down early to bags your patch of grass. Plenty turn out to sing along to their favourite Christmas classics and make merry during the night time celebrations.
Have you enjoyed our festivals and events? Tell us what you think in the comments below or join us on Facebook and Instagram.
