4 August 2022

Preparations for Wagga's annual Fusion multicultural festival underway

| Shri Gayathirie Rajen
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Martial artists performing

Organisers are curating a diverse line-up of music and entertainment for this year’s multicultural festival. Photo: Fusion Multicultural Festival Instagram.

Wagga’s popular multicultural festival Fusion Botanical will return next season with colour, culture, creativity and fun at a new venue.

The Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens in Turvey Park will spring to life with live music, street food and entertainment on Sunday, 15 October.

The festival is an opportunity for the Wagga community to celebrate the 110 odd cultures that form its rich tapestry.

After being held at Victory Memorial Gardens for the past decade, Multicultural Council of Wagga CEO Belinda Crain said the Botanic Gardens would make an ideal venue.

“The area up there (Botanic Gardens) is underutilised and will be an ideal place to have this type of festival,” Ms Crain said.

“There are quite a lot of different amenities there. It’s a lovely garden with plenty of shade from the trees and a children’s playground area.

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“Our multicultural clients are also very familiar with the garden and access it a lot.

“The vibe on the day is positive and families from refugee backgrounds have said they feel a sense of belonging and enjoy the festival.

“It’s an inclusive environment.”

The Multicultural Council of Wagga and Wagga City Council are calling for expressions of interest from local food and drink vendors and performers who are up for feeding and entertaining festival-goers.

Fusion Botanical logo

Fusion has grown to become a highlight on Wagga’s annual event calendar. Image: City of Wagga Wagga.

Ms Crain said the Multicultural Council was assisting community members in getting their safe food supervising and safe food handling certificates.

“We’re working with our community members to see who wants to have a stall,” she said.

“We’re also working with people about community performance where they can showcase their culture and traditions.”

The Council’s director community Janice Summerhayes said this year’s festival was expected to be well supported by locals and draw in crowds from across the wider region this spring.

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“Council’s Fusion festival has grown to become a highlight on the city’s annual event calendar since its inception in 2011,” Ms Summerhayes said.

“Planning is underway … we’re curating a diverse line-up of music and entertainment to be announced closer to the event.”

To apply, visit the Fusion festival website and make a submission before 5 pm on Friday, 12 August 2022.

To keep up to date with announcements for Fusion Botanical, visit the website or follow the Fusion Multicultural Festival Facebook and Instagram pages.

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