General News
12 March, 2026
Diversity Day unites Wimmera cultures
Horsham will celebrate culture, connection and community this Saturday when Diversity Day returns to the Horsham Town Hall with performances, family activities and a free shared lunch.
Wimmera Southern Mallee Development migration and settlement program manager Sara Barron said the event would begin at 10am and offer a welcoming and inclusive program for the wider community.
“This Saturday at the Horsham Town Hall, we’ll be having our diversity day celebrations,” she said.
She said organisers would open the event with a Welcome to Country and the mayor’s welcome, followed by a series of multicultural performances.
“We’ll start with a welcome to country, and the mayor’s welcome, and then we will be having a program of multicultural performances, song and dance,” she said.
Ms Barron said organisers were inviting attendees to wear traditional dress and join in the celebration.
“We are inviting everyone to come into traditional costume if they would like to,” she said.
The event will feature performances from several cultural groups, including returning community performers and a Japanese dancer.
“Some returning performers and performances from the Filipino community, as well as a Japanese dancer this year,” Ms Barron said.
Families will also find plenty to do throughout the day, with sporting activities, face painting, henna, flag making and a photo booth all planned.
“It’s a really family-friendly day,” she said.
Ms Barron said the program aimed to create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone.
“We’re really aiming for this to be a lovely celebration, so quite informal and just a lot of fun,” she said.
Food will also play a major part in the day, with organisers encouraging people to bring a plate while also providing a free lunch.
“We’re inviting people to bring a plate because it’s just always so lovely to have that kind of variety, but yes, we’ll be catering a fully free lunch,” she said.
The menu will include dishes from local businesses, including noodles, curries, rice, meats, Turkish bread, and salads.
Diversity Day will also launch Fortnight Fest, a broader regional celebration linking Harmony Week and Cultural Diversity Week across the Wimmera.
Ms Barron said free transport would help more people attend the Horsham event.
“We’ll be providing free transport,” she said.
She said buses would travel from Nhill and Ararat to Horsham, with a pick-up in Stawell, and bookings could be made through the Wimmera Southern Mallee Development website.
Beyond Saturday’s event, Ms Barron encouraged people across the region to get involved in the wider celebrations and connect.
“My biggest message would be just to get involved and get connected,” she said.
At Diversity Day, the formal guests may include the mayor and those delivering the Welcome to Country, but Ms Barron said the real stars of the event would be local people sharing their culture and talent with the community.