Lakeside at Carousel: Albert Park COVID-safe picnic, live music venue
A picnic in the park, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, is coming to Melbourne with live music, food and a chance to share it with friends and family. Find out how you can score a COVID safe piece of parkland.
Inner South
Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner South . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A pop-up venue in Albert Park is giving people the chance to enjoy live music in a completely COVID-safe setting.
Lakeside at Carousel launches tomorrow and will offer Melburnians 2000sq m of socially-distanced picnic spots, delicious hampers and cocktails and live entertainment.
The venture from the team behind South Melbourne’s Half Acre and caterers food&desire — in conjunction with Parks Victoria — will run throughout Summer.
And if picnic rugs aren’t your style, there’s also an option to hire furniture so you can enjoy a “pimped up picnic”.
Half Acre owner and founder Adam Wright-Smith said Lakeside at Carousel would be “unlike anything Melburnians have experienced”.
“(It) has been created for Melburnians to have their much-loved Melbourne back and to enjoy this iconic location … taking in the views of the Melbourne city skyline and Albert Park Lake while catching up with friends and loved ones in a COVID-safe environment,” he said.
Striped umbrellas will be dotted across the Pelican Lawn (the grassed area next to Carousel) for groups of up to 10 people to gather under.
“We wanted to create a new space at Albert Lake Park that was unlike anything Melburnians have ever experienced from pimped up picnics and a pop-up bottle shop with wine and cocktails to live entertainment and more,” Wright-Smith said.
Available to order from the windows overlooking the lawns at Carousel, the menu features fresh seasonal produce with a little something for everyone.
There are meals and classic favourites from meze platters with falafel, BBQ shawarma chicken, hummus, labneh and salad bowls, cheese and charcuterie boards to Southern crispy chicken burgers, fish and chips, Chicago hot dogs and more.
Satisfying the sweet-tooths, a selection of desserts are available including pavlova ice cream with homemade meringue, berries and passionfruit curd, and the chocolate ice cream cookie
monster for the adults only, which is finished with a shot of espresso martini.
Also, on the dessert menu are hot jam doughnuts and chocolate doughnuts.
Breakfast will also be available daily with a selection of acai bowls, fruit salad, and bacon and eggs rolls to takeaway.
Those looking for a more unique experience and front row seats to the lakeside activities, the deck at Carousel will also host a first-ever dining experience with a la carte dining available
lunch and dinner for up to 50 guests outdoors from Saturday, November 7.
“Carousel is renowned for hosting the best events in Melbourne and because of restrictions we haven’t been able to have anything here for so long and we’re excited to utilise this space again,” food&desire director Asaf Smoli said.
“It’s the first time 16 years that we’re opening up the deck at Carousel for guests to enjoy a new dining experience.”
Lakeside at Carousel is open daily from Saturday, October 31 for takeaway coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9am to sunset (weather permitting).
The deck at Carousel is open from November 7 for lunch and dinner.
The summer pop-up will also be open for key events on the calendar including Melbourne Cup, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and will also host screenings of The Australian
Open.
Lakeside at Carousel is located at 22 Aughtie Drive in Albert Park. Parking is available on-site and trams 96 and 112 are located nearby.
MORE:
PORT MELBOURNE: HISTORY OF POSTCODE 3207