Our Songs at Northcote Civic Square

Next date: Thursday, 11 December 2025 | 06:30 PM to 09:30 PM

Presented by Darebin Arts

Cowboy boots meet Santa hats for a boot-scooting festive community rodeo at Northcote Civic Square!

Grab your chosen family and giddy-up to High Street for an evening of dancing, music, laughter, and awkward Christmas portraits to rival anything your family came up with in the 80s.

This fabulous evening of festivity in the heart of Northcote's High Street bustle will feature:

Local line dancing stars Kitty and Lu of Disco Rodeo, who will get everyone up and dancing for a glorious boot-scooting rodeo
Karin Locke’s Awkard Portraits: have your friendship group or family portrait taken 80s style. Think awkward poses, gaudy jumpers, oversized glasses and trippy backgrounds! Dress up, pose for your photo, then take home a print or digital copy
A pop-up from Bec's Tree House Art School, with colourful craft activities for kids
Noongar artist Emmy Yarram, AKA DJ On Milk, on the decks, spinning a mix of funk, disco, 80s and noughties tunes
Local legend and Noongar, Kurnai and Gunditjmara comedian, Shiralee Hood, as our fabulous MC

Refreshments will be available throughout from the Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre bar. Check out the Northcote Rise directory for some food and drink inspiration from one of the many amazing local traders.

This event is for everyone: suitable for all ages, FREE to attend, and no bookings required. Come down any time!

About the artists

Disco Rodeo

Always wanted to join a cult but couldn't find the right one? Disco Rodeo is run by partners in scooting and life — Kitty & Lu. Lu is a real dancer, and Kitty is in it for the lols … and outfits. Disco Rodeo bring their love of bangin’ tunes and dialled-up costumes to their weekly boot scooting classes in Melbourne, with regular Hoedowns to boot. Americana and Country and Western feature heavily in their oeuvre, but they’re certainly not purists. Disco, classic rock, and Y2K electro-pop all make unapologetic appearances, the only rule is that the song is a cracker. Whether you're a beginner or an old-hand who k-steps in their sleep, you’ll have a blast—from the first grapevine to the last hitch!

DJ On MIlk

DJ On Milk, aka Emmy is one half of the proud Noongar sister duo Bumpy & Emmy on RRR, spinning funk, disco, 80s & early 2000s tunes, laced with tracks from local artists from across the country.

Awkward Portraits (Karin Locke)

In 2011, portrait photographer Karin Locke threw an Ugly Sweater Party and photographed all of her guests...

Since then, her team have brought Awkward Portraits to all kinds of clients at all kinds of parties, events and festivals. In a world of social media "image crafting," Facebook, Instagram, online dating and smart phone selfies, where people share selectively and project an inflated version of their existence, why do so many of us revel in the exact opposite? When you take the ego out of a portrait, what is left? When we stop trying so hard, when we stop taking ourselves so seriously, we allow ourselves to just BE, and that can be very liberating. The extreme of meticulous image crafting and projection of "cool" is momentarily swapped for the other extreme of goofy awkwardness.

Let's be honest. Sometimes we just need a good laugh.

Shiralee Hood

Shiralee Hood is a Noongar, Kurnai, Gunditjmara Comedian, Broadcaster and Educator. Shiralee has blown away audiences throughout Australia with sharp observations, hilarious stories and an outrageously funny take on life.

Bec's Tree House Art School

Bec’s Tree House Art School’ has been running for 20 years and has brought joy to thousands of children across Australia at festivals, shopping centres and artist residencies.

These fun-filled workshops provide an abundance of craft to let your child’s creativity go wild!