Greater Shepparton City Council is holding a variety of events throughout March to acknowledge Victoria’s biggest multicultural celebration, Cultural Diversity Week.
Cultural Diversity Week runs from Saturday, March 11 to Tuesday, March 21, and is an annual celebration of the state’s diverse and powerful multicultural communities.
The theme for this year’s week is ‘Our Past. Our Future: Celebrating and reflecting on the contributions of Victoria’s multicultural communities’.
Council said it would launch Cultural Diversity Week on Saturday, March 11 in the Maude St precinct in Shepparton, with a variety of cultural demonstrations, food, music, dance and family-friendly activities from noon to 1.30pm.
Throughout the week, residents and visitors can take part in a range of events, including multicultural stand-up paddle boarding, diversity afternoon tea at Mooroopna Library, movie night at Shepparton Library, ‘Paint by Nature’ at Kaiela Arts and a cultural diversity quiz at Tatura Library.
Multicultural festival Converge On The Goulburn will take over Victoria Park Lake on Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18, bringing together food, culture and performances from local First Nations and multicultural communities.
The weekend concludes with the Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival at the city's Queen’s Gardens on Sunday, March 19, which will showcase traditional Albanian music, dancing and food, along with a fruit and vegetable market.
Mayor Shane Sali encouraged the community of Greater Shepparton to get involved with the events and celebrate Cultural Diversity Week.
“Cultural Diversity Week allows us to ... promote and embrace community harmony, and celebrate the many cultures that make Greater Shepparton and Australia so vibrant,” he said.