Community
23 September, 2023
Multicultural festival returns
THE Civic Green will come alive with all the colours, smells and tastes of a wide range of nationalities next month.
The Warrnambool Multicultural Festival will make a welcome return on Saturday October 14 thanks to the efforts of a group of dedicated local volunteers.
The event, which took out the 2022-23 Warrnambool City Council Community Event of the Year, will once again feature a wide range of music, food, activities and entertainment.
President of the Warrnambool Multicultural Association Daisy Ye and fellow volunteer Wei-Lin Mai are confident this year’s event will be “even bigger and better” than the inaugural one, held last year.
“We had lots of positive feedback last year and that really encouraged us to make sure it (the festival) ran again,” Daisy said.
“We are a not-for-profit organisation and we are all volunteers who put in endless hours to organise and ensure the event is a success.
“We are very grateful to our team of workers and would welcome more volunteers, particularly those who can help on the day with collecting feedback from those who attend.”
Following on from the success of last year’s event, the 2023 celebration will again highlight and promote many different cultures including Mexican, Sri Lankan, Thai, Dutch, Korean and First Nations to name just a few.
The lush lawns of the Civic Green will again be covered in a variety of food vendors, offering many wonderful dishes and treats for all ages to taste, experience and enjoy.
“When we first opened for expressions of interest in July we had over 100 submissions, some from as far away as Geelong and interstate,” Daisy said.
“We have managed to cut that back to 27 (confirmed) because the Civic Green isn’t overly large and we also need room for our entertainers and for people to sit and enjoy.”
Along with the food on offer, the entertainment will also be varied and exciting, including such popular acts as the Coco Blokes, the Warrnambool Pipe Band, St Brigid’s Irish music, Thai Temple dancers and some young Chinese performers.
There will also be art and craft stalls, information stalls and free activity stalls including face painting.
“We have plenty of entertainment, plenty of food (and drink) vendors and now we just need some more volunteers to help us on the day, particularly with collecting feedback from visitors,” Daisy said.
Daisy and Wei-Lin also welcomed anyone who wished to join the Warrnambool Multicultural Association committee.
“Along with Wei-Lin and I, we also have Oksana Yakushchenko, Kerrie Nicholson, Jasmin Senchenko and Belinda Payne (aboriginal cultural engagement consultant) on our committee and we would love to hear from anyone else eager to volunteer.”
The committee is grateful for the support of the Fletcher Jones Foundation, Warrnambool City Council, Deakin University and Beyond Bank.
The event, on October 14, will run from 10am until 3pm.
For more information or to lodge your interest in becoming a volunteer simply email wmacommittee@gmail.com.
