By Ewen McRae
The Keilor Gift returns this weekend – bigger than ever.
Two years after the event was scrapped due to a lack of funding, the Gift has expanded into a two-day festival across the whole Keilor Village, complete with performances and family attractions on Friday and Saturday before the big race.
On Friday, there will be roaming performers in period costumes throughout the village, as well as musicians and a number of stalls.
Saturday will feature the athletics and woodchopping at Joe Brown Reserve and a petting zoo and market in the village.
Keilor Gift organising committee chairperson Hayden Kelly said the event was a great way to showcase Keilor.
“The number of entries in the events are certainly higher than last year, so that’s always exciting,” Mr Kelly said.
“It’s the only true community event that we have this side of the gully, I guess, so the community looks forward to it every year. For the traders and the sports club, it brings in some revenue that we wouldn’t otherwise have so it’s a great way to kick off the year.”
The Keilor Gift Carnival will take place on February 15 and 16, with the headline race to be run at 8.45pm on Saturday night, followed by fireworks.
