Image Caption: Mayor of The Hills Shire Dr Peter Gangemi with Wayne Cornish and Dennis Moran from Muru Mittigar at Bella Vista Farm.
Hills Shire residents are invited to have a Yarn at The Farm during the school holidays as part of Council's NAIDOC Week celebrations. The new and exciting event will be held from 11am – 2pm on Thursday 11 July at Bella Vista Farm.
Council has partnered with local First Nations enterprise Muru Mittigar to celebrate Aboriginal culture with free arts and crafts workshops, musical performances, sporting activations and free First Nations inspired food from the Wilka Thalta food truck.
The event will commence with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony from Dharug elder Uncle Colin.
Mayor of The Hills Shire Dr Peter Gangemi said the event would be Council's biggest ever NAIDOC Week celebration.
"Yarn at The Farm will be a free, fun an engaging way for Hills Shire locals to learn more about First Nations history and culture, to connect with local Aboriginal elders and enjoy a great day out with the family," Mayor Gangemi said.
"Guests can enjoy didgeridoo performances and storytelling from Uncle Peter Williams, try their hand at boomerang painting and basket weaving or participate in sporting activations from the Western Sydney Wanderers and AFL.
"We'll have a demonstration on how native Australian plants can be used to stay clean from Hills Yarning and guests can try free servings of emu sausage rolls, cheeseburgers with bush tomato relish and spring rolls with Kakadu plum chilli sauce."
Muru Mittigar Executive Officer Wayne Cornish will MC the event alongside Madii Page from Hills Yarning and said he was excited to be part of the biggest NAIDOC Week celebrations in the history of The Hills.
"Our relationship with Council has been built over the past three years. We're excited for this next step and the benefits it will bring to The Hills Shire community," Mr Cornish said.
"We've worked on consultations with the community together, we were part of the opening of Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre and we have run a few NAIDOC Week programs with Council in the past, but this is our first joint NAIDOC Week together."
NAIDOC WEEK 2024: YARN AT THE FARM
WHAT: A celebration of First Nations culture with storytelling and performances, free arts and crafts, sporting activations and much more.
WHEN: 11am – 2pm, Thursday 11 July, 2024
WHERE: Bella Vista Farm, Elizabeth Macarthur Drive, Bella Vista
FOOD: Free servings of First Nations fusion cuisine for first 500 guests including:
- Emu sausage sandwiches
- Cheese and Bacon burgers with bush tomato relish
- Vegetable spring rolls with Kakadu Plum Sauce
- Native basil and tomato arancini w/- sea parsley aioli dipping sauce
- Loaded chips with bacon, cheese, honey BBQ and sriracha
Free coffee for first 500 guests from Hills Daily Grind
Free dessert for first 500 guests from Wafflepopz
ACTIVITIES: Free bracelet weaving, boomerang painting, ochre line face and hand painting, dance workshops, colouring-in, free plant giveaways, flag painting, sporting activations from Western Sydney Wanderers, AFL and NSW Netball and more.
For more information, visit Council's website and search for 'NAIDOC Week.'