Get ready to vibe to the beat of the bhangra drum as the South West Indian Group hosts their annual Diwali Festival of Lights event in November.
Bringing Bollywood fever to Bunbury, the evening will showcase classical, contemporary and fusion Indian performances as well as delicious curries from Spice Journey.
Seeking to celebrate Bunbury’s diverse and multicultural community, the group’s president Dr Parthasarathy Ramesh said Noongar culture would be infused into the event.
“Diwali is a global celebration of peace, harmony and mutual respect for one another in our diverse and multicultural world,” Dr Ramesh said.
“Similar to previous years, my group’s vision of bringing cultures together in our diverse community will be visibly throughout this year’s event.
“I’m keen to showcase the Noongar culture in this year’s Diwali event to show SWIG’s acknowledgement of the traditional custodians of this land we live and work on and to pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.”
Dr Ramesh invited the multicultural community of Bunbury and the South West region to join in the celebrations which will feature Noongar and Indian art, music and dance.
“Last year’s event was well remembered for the fire dancer and this year we will have a duo fire dance performance to keep everyone thrilled,” he said.
“There will be Bollywood themed performances from local school groups, Spanish and Zumba dancers.
“The India Eye Group will treat the audience to Indian classical dance and group performances.
“Henna, Noongar art displays and performances by the Bunbury City Brass Band will also feature.”
Dr Ramesh said this year’s event will commence at 4pm, an hour earlier than previous years to enable families with young children and older adults to enjoy the evening entertainment till the finish at 7.30pm.
Tickets are $25 per person for Souith West Indian Group members, $30 for non-members, $15 for children aged 5 to 15 and tickets include buffet style meals from Spice Journey.
Entry for children under five is free and the event is alcohol and smoke-free.
To get your tickets for the November 12 event held at the South West Italian Club, email swigbunbury@gmail.com or call 0469882635 and visit www.swig.org.au