Cultural Diversity Week, which runs from Sunday 11 March to Tuesday 21 March 2023, is an annual celebration of the state’s diverse and powerful multicultural communities. Cultural Diversity Week has been a driver for starting conversation and building connections between cultures for over two decades.
The theme for this year’s week is ‘Our Past. Our Future: Celebrating and reflecting on the contributions of Victoria's multicultural communities’. The theme invites people of all ages and backgrounds to reflect on the state’s multicultural history and celebrate our bright future.
Council will launch Cultural Diversity Week on Saturday 11 March in the Maude Street Precinct in Shepparton, with a variety of cultural demonstrations, food, music, dance and family friendly activities from 12pm to 1.30pm. This celebration will officially kick off the Cultural Diversity Week calendar of events in Greater Shepparton. Throughout the week, residents and visitors can take part in a range of events including:
- Multicultural stand up paddleboarding
- Diversity afternoon tea at the Mooroopna Library
- Movie night at the Shepparton Library
- ‘Paint by Nature’ at Kaiela Arts
- Cultural Diversity Quiz at the Tatura Library
The weekend’s events will bring the region’s largest multicultural festival, Converge on the Goulburn, which will take over Victoria Park Lake on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 March, bringing together food, culture and performances from local Aboriginal and multicultural communities.
The weekend will then conclude with the Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival at the Shepparton Showgrounds on Sunday 19 March, which showcases traditional Albanian music, dancing and food, along with a fruit and vegetable market offering produce grown and packed by local farmers.
Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, encouraged residents to acknowledge and celebrate Cultural Diversity Week by taking part in the calendar of events.
“Greater Shepparton is known for its rich diversity and large multicultural community. Cultural Diversity Week gives us all an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the different backgrounds which make up our region,” he said.
“Around 15 per cent of our population was born in a country other than Australia. Cultural Diversity Week allows us bring these people together to promote and embrace community harmony, and celebrate the many cultures that make Greater Shepparton and Australia so vibrant.”
For more information, contact Council on (03) 5832 9700. To view the full calendar of events for Cultural Diversity Week, visit Council’s event page.
