Thousands of visitors will join in Curryfest, Woolgoolga’s annual celebration of Punjabi heritage, culture and cuisine, thanks to the NSW Government’s Regional Events Acceleration Fund.
Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said the $52,000 in funding will see this year’s Curryfest dish up a bigger program, which will include a celebrity chef appearance, cooking demonstrations and hip-hop performances.
“Curryfest began as a community celebration of one of Australia’s largest regional Punjabi populations and has grown to be a celebration of all cultures and cuisines,” Mr Singh said.
“The event will attract more than 15,000 people to Woolgoolga on Saturday 25 September to enjoy music, dancing and curries from all over the world.
“Now in its 16th year, Curryfest is an iconic annual event that transforms Woolgoolga into a carnival of colours, sights, tastes and sounds, attracting thousands of local and interstate visitors and bringing much-needed tourism dollars to the area.
“Hosting major events like Curryfest puts more heads on local beds and fills restaurants, cafes and tourist attractions, all helping to drive regional NSW’s economic recovery from bushfire, flood, drought and COVID-19.”
Mr Singh said the NSW Government funding will help deliver a bigger and better Curryfest that will stimulate the local economy and shine a spotlight on our region and its rich cultural offerings.
“It’s exciting to see Curryfest return to celebrate Punjabi heritage and the rich, vibrant and diverse cultures that make up our community,” he said.
“Curryfest is a major event on the Australian foodie calendar and the NSW Government’s funding will be vital to the festival coming back bigger and stronger in 2021.”
The NSW Government’s $20 million Regional Events Acceleration Fund also helped bring to the Coffs Coast the recent Sharks-Titans NRL match and next week’s Super W National Women’s XVs Rugby Tournament.
Visit nsw.gov.au/REAFund.
