FAQ

An annual festival celebrating the legacy of a local citizen, Maria Ann Smith, who, in 1868, grew the first batch of green apples that came to be known as Granny Smith. The community festival includes a grand street parade, up to 230 stalls, 6 stages filled with various cultural and community entertainment and ends with a firework display. 

City of Ryde’s 2024 Granny Smith Festival is being held on Saturday 19^th October 9am till 8:30pm. The festival is held in and around the Eastwood shopping precinct and Eastwood oval.

Festival Operating Hours 

The festival has different operating hours for different areas. Please refer to the shaded coloured areas on the map with the below listed times. 

• Rowe Street, the Avenue and Eastwood Public School 9.00am – 3.30pm
• Progress Avenue and Hillview Road 9.00am – 4.30pm
• Eastwood Plaza 9.00am – 5.30pm
• Eastwood Oval and West Parade 9.00am – 8.30pm

The Granny Smith Festival is a free family event.  

Lost property can be taken to the Festival Information Booths either on the Oval or at Eastwood Public School. Items will be returned to their owners who are able to correctly identify the items. Any items that are not claimed will be taken back to the City of Ryde offices you can then contact customer service (9952 8222) post event to collect items. 

Let’s hope this doesn’t happen but if you do find a lost child or lose your child go to the Festival Information Booths at the Oval or Eastwood Public School, or St Johns immediately at Eastwood Public School, Rowe Street and the Oval. Staff will work with security and police to reunite lost children with their carers as soon as possible.

There are wrist bands available at the Festival Information Booths for you to write your contact details on and secure on your child’s wrist.

Large crowds are expected – we also recommend you plan a meeting point with your children in case they become separated from you.

Please note that adult supervision is required at all children activities by carers. 

City of Ryde events team will monitor the weather leading up to the event and will notify the public of any updates via the City of Ryde website and social media pages.

Eastwood train station is located near the festival and we encourage everyone to travel via train where possible. There is also a temporary bus stop on Wingate Avenue. Please note that there will be changes to the regular bus routes on the day of the Festival.

Visit trip planner at www.transportnsw.info to organise your journey from start to finish. 

For more information check out our Plan Your Trip page.

Sections of road will be closed from 5.30pm Friday 18 October until 11:30pm Saturday 19 October.

Temporary road closures are also in place during the street parade from 8.00am – 11.30am (or until streets are cleared of parade).

If you have any questions in relation to event road closures and how they may affect you please contact customer service on 9952 8222.

For more information check out our Plan Your Trip page.

City of Ryde’s 2024 Granny Smith Festival will go off at 8:00pm from Eastwood Top Oval.

The best viewing point of our 8:00pm fireworks is the lower Eastwood Oval.

The parade starts at 9.30am from the corner of Hillview Road and Lakeside Road. 

The best spot to view the parade is on Rowe Street so follow the pink parade route on the map and grab your spot early.

There is a whooping 6 stages across the festival, with the Main stage located on Eastwood lower oval, K-Town Madang Stage in the commuter carpark in Korea Town, Big Apple Singing Stage on Hillview Road, Plaza Stage in the plaza, Trelawney Stage at the corner of Rowe St and Trelawney St and the Gypsy Wagon Stage located near Hillview Lane roundabout. 

There is a huge variety of activities for the kids to enjoy, including carnival rides, free face painting, Camel & Pony rides and much more!

For more information, visit the Eastwood Public School and Rides pages.

There are a variety of competitions leading up to the festival and on the day of the festival. Please head to our competitions page for more information. 

No, patrons are not allowed to bring their own alcohol to the event. Drinks must be purchased and consumed within licensed areas.

What are your policies on the Responsible service of Alcohol?

• Security Guards and RSA Marshalls will be onsite throughout the day roaming the licensed areas.
• Photo ID will be required to purchase and consume alcohol. Service will not be provided to people under 18 years of age.
• Takeaway sales are not permitted on the day.
• Patrons will be assessed by beverage suppliers, event staff and RSA officers upon entry and service and if deemed to be intoxicated patrons will be refused service or entry.

Patrons may purchase alcohol from licensed areas between 10am till 8.30pm. Last drinks at 8pm.

• Suitable clothes for weather on the day
• Reusable water bottle and bag
• Sunscreen, hats and UV protected clothing
• Eftpos/ Credit Card
• Photo ID (if you plan on purchasing alcohol at the event)

City of Ryde is committed to a sustainable environment and the Granny Smith Festival is designated as a ‘Waste Wise Event.’ We encourage festival attendees to bring their own bags and re-useable water bottles as no plastic water bottles or plastic bags can be sold at the event. Several water stations will be available across the day, including at the back of Eastwood Library.

Yes, this event is open to all age groups.

Yes, small to medium size dogs are allowed within the event area. Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times and is the responsibility of the owner to ensure the dog does not impact other attendee’s experience. We do however recommend that you keep pets indoors during the fireworks.

Yes, there will be two food hubs at the festival, one at West Parade near the Oval and the other one in Eastwood Public School (Eastwood Public School closes at 3.30pm).

Other pre-packaged foods will be available along Rowe Street, Progress Avenue and in the Plaza.

No, there will be no ATMs onsite to provide cash out. If you wish to bring cash, please arrange before coming to the venue. There are a number of ATM’s available at bank shop fronts stationed along Rowe Street. All vendors will provide cashless payment options.

There will be limited seating around the event site with some seating in front of all the stages and within the food hubs along West Parade and in Eastwood Public School.

No smoking or vaping is allowed onsite.

Yes, but please be considerate of where you are placing your pram to not obstruct walkways or view of entertainment for other patrons.

Although we do not encourage this you may bring your own food. Please make sure you discard all your rubbish at the end of the day.

We will have a photographer at the event. Photographs taken at the event may be used in future for promotional purposes. 

The City of Ryde is committed to providing universal access at all of our events. Please contact the City of Ryde Events team if you require further accommodations or information via email at events@ryde.nsw.gov.au.

If you have a mobility parking permit and require close access to the festival, use our Drop-Off Zone, entry is via Trelawney St located on the map. There is also limited mobility parking located at Eastwood Shopping Centre and Glen St carpark. Time restrictions apply.

The 2024 Granny Smith Festival official opening ceremony will begin at approximately 11.00am at the Oval Stage, located on Eastwood Lower Oval.