The first annual Mountain2Sea Festival comes to Wollongong this weekend. It is a showcase and celebration of heritage and cultures in the community and will be held in Wollongong on Saturday and Mount Kembla on Sunday.
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Mountain2Sea president Vicki Curran said the organisers were overwhelmed by the level of support and interest in the inaugural event. And that has resulted in a diverse range of free community organised activities celebrating heritage and culture.
On the Saturday the festival runs from 10am to 7pm at Market Square. And on Sunday there is a family community day at Mount Kembla Oval and Kembla Heights Bowling Club.
Cr Curran said on Saturday Market Square was being transformed into a vibrant multicultural village plaza with a banquet of tastes, smells, sights and sounds showcasing Illawarra’s diverse cultural fabric.
“The festival will provide a kaleidoscope of multicultural food, dance, music and art from the Illawarra’s established and emerging culturally diverse communities,” she said.
“Sample culinary delicacies from all over the world and enjoy traditional cultural and folk performances. A Pop Up Outdoor Lounge will provide an intimate environment for sharing of migration stories, experiences, and fond memories. Cooking demonstrations, art and circus workshops will also be on offer and all free for the community to enjoy.”
The Old Courthouse at Wollongong Harbour will also open its doors from 9.30am to 3.30pm for the National Trust Illawarra Shoalhaven Branch’s Vintage Bizarre.
The Flagstaff Hill Lighthouse will be lit up with historic images from 7pm and historic films from Why Documentaries will play.
An Instameet will be held at Flagstaff Hill at the same time with a competition for the best photo.
Day two of the festival all takes place at Mount Kembla Village where mining and industrial history and the communities that were formed around it are being celebrated.
Mountain2Sea secretary Chris Denison said it would be a family community day at Mount Kembla Oval and the Kembla Heights Bowling Club.
Sunday activities include a coal shoveling competition and bare foot bowls.
Lost Wollongong founder and Mountain2Sea co-founder David Bottin said the community’s rich heritage will be on show with specially curated exhibitions and displays at the oval, Mount Kembla Village Hotel and Mount Kembla Heritage Centre.
Mount Kembla Heritage Centre is also conducting guided heritage tours around the village and Windy Gully.
And a free shuttle bus will be operating between event sites and for the heritage tours.
Mr Bitton said he and Mr Denison had been talking about a festival celebrating Wollongong’s mining and industry heritage for a while and whey they heard about Cr Curran’s idea they thought why not put them both together and come up with something bigger.
He said they planned to make it an annual event and grow it every year.
