December 2011

The Riverland Multicultural Festival was successfully held on 5 November at the Berri Riverfront, as part of the Berri Centenary Year acknowledging and celebrating the Riverland as one of the most culturally diverse regional communities in Australia.

The event drew about 2500 people to the Berri riverfront, despite the hot weather.

Organisers are now hoping to return it for the seventh time.

"We are looking at holding another one possibly in two years' time", festival co-ordinator Danyon De Buell said.

Held sporadically since the 1980's, the festival this year included an eclectic mix of dance, music, workshops, food stalls and displays showcasing the Riverland's diversity.

"We had a mixture of local acts, which were really good and two professional performances that were funded through Country Arts SA, Festivals Australia and Multicultural SA", Ms De Buell said.

"Sufi Soul appealed because the music they perform is a fusion of Middle Eastern, Afghanistan and Indian cultures and a big contingent of those communities really got into it.

Ms De Buell praised the large crowd at the free event for its behaviour, saying the day was "very harmonious".