COMMUNITY NEWS - Picnic Among Friends

On Sunday August 17, the Maleny and Hinterland community is warmly invited to Picnic Among Friends — a unique community gathering to honour and remember loved ones who have died.

Running from 1pm to 4pm at Bicentennial Park beside the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre, this free, inclusive event offers people of all ages a gentle space to reflect, connect, and share memories — whether of a family member, friend, child, or beloved pet. 

The afternoon will include music, a creative space for memorial-making, a communal Memory Tree, and a short ceremony at 2pm following a Welcome to Country.

Participants are encouraged to bring a picnic, a rug or chair, and a meaningful item such as a photo, memento or keepsake. The event is non-religious and designed to support grief in all its forms — recent or long-held, loud or quiet — in a safe, shared setting.

Picnic Among Friends is inspired by a well-known Sydney tradition created over a decade ago by funeral celebrant and death literacy advocate Victoria Spence, who will attend the Maleny event to share insights and support.

Christine Elcoate from Tying Up Loose Ends, one of the event’s organising partners, explains:

“Grief doesn’t always show up in obvious ways, and we don’t always have the space to acknowledge it. This gathering creates room for people to honour their grief, however that looks.”

Madonna Hampson of the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre adds, “Whether people want to share stories or simply sit quietly with others who understand, this is a community space for remembrance, connection, and kindness.”

The event takes place beside the community’s Journey of Life Grief Garden, a peaceful, reflective space established for those processing loss and life transitions. The setting reflects the heart of the event — simple, open-hearted, and rooted in community.

Organised by a collective of locals including Tying Up Loose Ends (TULE), the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre, and others committed to compassionate conversations around death and grief, the event is supported by the Sunshine Coast Council.

Organisers hope it will become a treasured annual tradition in the Hinterland calendar.