Every October since 1968, the people of Goodna have gathered under the suburb’s iconic purple-blooming jacaranda trees for a festival that has grown into South East Queensland’s most-loved community celebration. Here’s how it began — and how it continues to grow.
The Goodna Jacaranda Festival now draws more than 10,000 people every year. But like so many great community events, it began modestly — with a few volunteers, some folding tables, and a recognition that the spectacular spring blooms along Brisbane Terrace deserved a celebration of their own.
Why jacarandas in the first place?
The story actually begins in 1932 — three and a half decades before the first festival. As Australia’s Great Depression bit hard, work gangs employed under public-relief schemes were dispatched to plant ornamental trees along Brisbane Terrace. They chose Jacaranda mimosifolia — a South American species that had been introduced to Australia in the late 19th century and was already loved for its dramatic spring display.
Almost a century later, those same trees still line the road. They’ve stood through the 1974, 2011 and 2022 floods, through heatwaves and cyclones, and continue to put on the same spectacular show every spring.
Several of these iconic trees were planted back in 1932 by work gangs during the Great Depression. They’ve stood strong through floods, heatwaves and change — a living symbol of Goodna’s resilience.
The festival begins — 1968
By the late 1960s the trees were mature enough to put on the kind of display that demanded recognition. In 1968, the first Goodna Jacaranda Festival was held at Evan Marginson Park — a small park near the train station, ringed by some of the suburb’s most spectacular jacarandas. From the start, it was a community-led event: volunteers, school groups, sporting clubs, church groups and local businesses all chipped in.
Growing across the decades
The festival’s reputation grew gradually through the 1970s and ’80s. By the 2000s it was firmly established as one of the major events on the Ipswich calendar, drawing crowds from across South East Queensland. The arrival of the Quest for Talent and Battle of the Bands competitions added a performance dimension that connected the festival to Goodna’s school communities and emerging local artists.
2025 — the first two-day festival
In 2025 the festival took its biggest leap in decades, expanding to a full two-day format for the first time. Friday 24 October opened with a 4pm launch featuring live music, market stalls, food trucks and a stunning purple-petalled sunset. Saturday 25 October ran from 8am to 10pm with cultural showcases, the full Quest for Talent program, the Battle of the Bands, sideshow alley rides by Kay Dee Amusements (including the legendary Dance Party 360), and dazzling fireworks by All Fired Up.
By the numbers — 2025
Two days. 10,000+ visitors. Adults $10, seniors $7, teens $5, under 13 free. Kruger State School’s Year 5–6 performers opened the festival with a Samoan cultural showcase. Industry-veteran judges including 1960s Australian rock legend Tony Worsley and music industry figure Chris Dillon judged Battle of the Bands.
What makes the festival special
It’s tempting to focus on the spectacle — the fireworks, the rides, the headline music. But what people who come back year after year talk about is something quieter. Sitting on a picnic blanket under a jacaranda. Watching kids from Goodna State School and St Francis Xavier perform. Eating a Samoan umu lunch beside a Vietnamese pho cart. Bumping into your high-school art teacher at a market stall.
The Jacaranda Festival is, at its heart, the suburb of Goodna seeing itself reflected back. That’s why it’s lasted nearly 60 years — and why it will keep going.
Want to be part of it?
The festival runs annually, late October. Volunteers, sponsors, stallholders and performers are all welcome. Get in touch with the Goodna Community Association via goodnajacarandafestival.com — or follow the festival on Facebook for the latest updates.