Newcastle residents are invited to celebrate the region's rich cultural diversity this weekend.
The seventh annual Newcastle: Unity in Diversity Festival will take place from 11am-4pm at Foreshore Park on Saturday.
Each year, the festival marks the end of Refugee Week, and event organisers Unity in Diversity and STARTTS, said the event has gained more support from the community each year.
"It started as very small festival in Civic Park. I think there were probably 100 people who came to the first festival," said event coordinator Jo McGregor of STARTTS.
"This was designed to create a wonderful celebration of inclusivity in terms of cultural diversity in Newcastle, and every year it's grown and grown and grown," she said.
This year's event will feature over 20 cultural performances and workshops, including Tibetan throat singing and Latin and Congolese dance.
As usual, the event will also host a plethora of international food stalls, with a special focus this year on Ukrainian food and culture, namely "Yuri's Ukrainian Food".
"Yuri is newly arrived to Newcastle and is very excited to share his Ukrainian food with people," Ms McGregor said.
"There is conflict occurring globally around the world and I think it's a really great way to welcome Ukrainian community members here in Newcastle, as well as anyone who is part of the Newcastle community. We do have a traditional welcoming here in Newcastle, and this festival is a really wonderful sign of that unity in diversity."
The community is encouraged to meet at Newcastle Foreshore near the Tramsheds at the festival's opening, to take part in the Welcome Walk, Indigenous welcome and smoke ceremony.
 |
| The Newcastle: Unity in Diversity Festival will take place at Foreshore Park on Saturday. |
