Jackalope Block Party Headed to Australia

Jackalope, a Montreal-based skateboarding and action sports events company, has announced it will take its Jackalope Block Party to Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia, in November.

Being held outside North America for the first time, the festival at South Newcastle Skate Park will feature athletes competing for prizes, skateboarding demonstrations and more. The Jackalope Block Party is one of 11 initiatives to share in the latest round of City Centre and Darby Street SBR funding, with almost $900,000 to be used for the promotion, beautification and development of the business precincts.

“We’re thrilled to bring our first international event to Newcastle, a community that embodies creativity and passion,” said Micah Desforges, founder and chief executive officer of Tribu Expérientiel. “This is more than just a competition — it’s a chance for local talent to stand out and win a coveted spot at the Jackalope festival in Virginia Beach, USA. We couldn’t think of a better place to launch this exciting new chapter of our journey beyond the USA and Canada.”

The Jackalope Block Party is one of 11 initiatives Newcastle will fund as it tries to increase tourism in the area.

“We’re also thrilled to be hosting the Jackalope Block Party at South Newcastle, which will bring international attention to this vibrant coastal facility,” said Jenny Barrie, chair of the Newcastle community and culture strategic advisory committee. “If it proves successful, we’ll look to secure the tremendous four-day version of the festival, which would include more sports such as bouldering, BMX and surfing.”

This is the first time Jackalope will hold an event in Australia, with 10,000 people expected to travel to South Newcastle during the two-day festival.

“Our block parties are run for the community, designed to find raw talent and give away Golden Tickets to the international arm of the Jackalope Festival,” said Sally Hill, festival organizer from Canvas Events. “This is the first time Jackalope will hold an event in Australia and we’re expecting up to 10,000 people to flock to the South Newcastle Beach Skate Park during the two-day festival.”