Gunnedah’s annual Multicultural Festival is back bigger and better than ever this weekend. A myriad of cultures will be on display through dance, food, language and various other activities.
Inside the Gunnedah Town Hall on Conadilly St from 10am to 1pm on June 15, expect to see displays from Fiji, India, South Korea, Japan, Tahiti and more. Local markets are also happening nearby.
Lisanty Evans, the President of Gunnedah’s Multicultural Women’s Association, who are organising the event, said the festival is a perfect chance to “Experience a vibrant celebration of cultures from around the world” and “learn, celebrate, and connect with our diverse Gunnedah community.”
“This year is going to be a bit different; we have a few more performances this year and will have the parade on at the same time,” she said.
Lisanty says there will also be a new Indonesian singing group made up of locals, Latin dance, food stalls, workshops, including an African hair design workshop, stalls from business organisations and a few special guests.
Suara Indonesia, a nationally recognised dance group from Sydney, is set to perform and also hold workshops at several local schools on Thursday and Friday this week. Johan Quezada from Latin Dance for Country Towns will also debut at the festival and hold a free interactive dance workshop.
“Every year, we like to share and expose locals to all the different cultures from around the world; Gunnedah has become more vibrant and diverse over the years, and we like to show that through events like this festival,” Lisanty said.
According to Lisanty, the Multicultural Women’s Association also has big plans to help people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds going forward.
“Our general vision is looking to do more than festivals; we have been growing with plenty of diverse cultures joining the group, and even some men,” she said.
“We recently organised a training seminar and are hoping to do more seminars and training sessions for new migrants in the area. If you are a new migrant to the Shire, we are here to help you transition smoothly into Australian life.”
For more updates on the upcoming Multicultural Festival, visit the Multicultural Women’s Association’s Facebook page.