GARLIC BREAD FESTIVAL: MELBOURNE’S ULTIMATE CARB CELEBRATION

If you thought garlic bread was just a humble sidekick, think again. The Garlic Bread Festival at Welcome to Thornbury has turned this buttery, garlicky staple into Melbourne’s most beloved annual carb carnival. Returning every year, the festival invites garlic bread lovers to indulge in mouthwatering variations—from cheesy bacon pull-aparts to spicy Mexican riffs—all starting at just $5 a slice.

The festival isn’t just about the bread. Attendees have enjoyed fun garlic-themed games like bread bingo, relay races, and even garlic-inspired cocktails and desserts. Best of all? Entry is free, but booking is recommended to snag a seat in the ever-popular beer garden.

Mark your calendar: this is the carb party that keeps Melbourne coming back for more.

WELCOME TO THORNBURY CELEBRATES 10 YEARS WITH THREE-DAY BIRTHDAY CARNIVAL

Melbourne, VIC — Welcome to Thornbury, the city’s original permanent bar and food truck park, is turning 10 — and to mark the milestone, the iconic Northside venue will host a three-day Birthday Carnival from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 August 2025.

Launched in 2015 on the site of a former car manufacturing plant, Welcome to Thornbury quickly became one of Melbourne’s most distinctive and well-loved venues. Over the last decade, it has welcomed millions of guests through its gates, hosted everything from garlic bread festivals to dog discos, and helped cement Thornbury’s reputation as a thriving hub for food, drinks and community-led events.

Alongside its food truck line-up and sprawling beer garden, the venue also hosts weddings, private functions and a growing calendar of celebratory events — plus houses the largest fully licensed, fully retro arcade in the country, cementing its appeal as a destination for both everyday catch-ups and major milestones.

To celebrate 10 years of good times, the team is pulling out all the stops. The weekend-long Birthday Carnival will feature $10 food and drink specials, live entertainment, roaming performers, games, prizes and free entry all weekend. “Ten years in hospitality — and especially in a venue this size — is no small thing,” said Scott Assender, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Welcome to Thornbury. “We opened with a pretty wild idea and a lot of trust that people would show up. The fact that we’re still here a decade later, still evolving and still full of energy, is a credit to our crew, our customers and the incredible local community that backs us. We wanted to throw something that feels true to us — big, playful, inclusive and a little bit chaotic in the best way.”

Welcome to Thornbury 10th Birthday Carnival Highlights:

● $10 Almost Everything: Pints, house spirits, wine, selected cocktails, arcade hour pass and food truck specials

● Live DJs and Performers: Across all three days

● Roaming Entertainment: Carnival-style acts, games and pop-up surprises

● Giveaways and Prizes: Including merch, drink cards and food vouchers

● Free Entry All Weekend