There was no fighting for our right to party this year.
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Greater Shepparton came to life with a variety of events that united the community in celebration.
Here are some of the highlights.
Mooroopna welcomes back NYE festival
After a three-year hiatus, the Mooroopna Rotary Club’s New Year’s Eve Festival returned to John Gray Oval.
The free community event offered attendees an evening of entertainment, food, drinks and rides.
The festivities kicked off with a street parade followed by live music from four acts.
Kids’ entertainment and a crayfish spinning wheel were also available, with one lucky raffle winner taking home a Hyundai i30 Active.
Despite a small section of the oval being cordoned off due to rain, the rest of the oval was packed with picnic blankets and camping chairs.
Bucking good time at inaugural Katamatite Rodeo
The Katamatite Lions Club hosted the inaugural Katamatite Rodeo on January 7, delivering an evening of bucking, roping and round-up action at the Muckatah Recreation Reserve.
The event included various competitions and activities, such as saddle bronc ride, bull ride, bareback bronc ride, rope and tie, steer wrestling and breakaway roping, with the aim of involving everyone in the community.
Despite some traffic congestion, the event was a huge success, with 4170 people attending.
The club is looking forward to improving the experience for next year.
Shepparton Festival an artistic triumph
The Shepparton Festival, a two-week program of comedy, film, music, art, food, workshops, theatre and performances from local and national talent, was held from March 17 to April 2.
The program was considered a “feast for the senses” by newly appointed festival director Kristen Retallick.
The event featured the roaming art exhibition Yarka’s Creation, a Spanish opera experience, a dance performance and an installation of handmade textile banners.
The festival attracted locals and visitors to Greater Shepparton and showcased work from significant artists, producers and performers on the national art map.
Illuminate festival in the limelight
The Illuminate festival in Shepparton saw around 10,000 visitors on the first night, with about 6500 people attending on the second, despite some rain.
The event featured lanterns shaped like Australian animals, food options, live music and a light show over the lake every hour.
Despite some hiccups due to Saturday’s wet weather, the festival went ahead thanks to program changes.
Greater Shepparton City Council major events team leader Sharlene Putman said she was delighted with how the festival went and praised the laser shows, space and later start time.
Record numbers for Biggest Blokes Lunch and Ladies Who Lunch
In October, two successful charity events were held in Shepparton to raise money for cancer services.
The Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch was declared the biggest in the event’s history, with over 1010 people attending.
The event raised over $120,000 through auctions and sponsorships to fund specialist prostate and bowel cancer nurses in Shepparton.
The event raised awareness for men’s health issues and featured special guests, including former NBA player Chris Anstey and comedian Peter Helliar.
On Sunday, the GV Health Foundation held the inaugural Ladies Who Lunch event, raising over $100,000 for women’s cancer services in the Goulburn Valley.
The event was attended by 745 people and featured a silent auction, a bidding auction and a raffle.
The funds raised support cancer services for women in Shepparton.
Food festival was *chef’s kiss*
The Fryers St Food Festival took place on November 11 in Shepparton and featured over 45 food trucks from across the state and beyond.
The festival aimed to bring locals and visitors together to showcase the heart of Shepparton and allow CBD traders to showcase their offerings.
The event expanded its footprint, using more of Maude St and closing Corio St for the first time.
The festival was family-friendly and made possible by the support of local sponsors and volunteers.
Equality took centre stage at Now and Forever
Now and Forever was a star-studded concert held at the Shepparton Showgrounds on October 6.
Bad Apples Music, founded by Yorta Yorta man Briggs, organised the all-ages event, promoting it as an all-inclusive initiative to celebrate, stand in solidarity with the First Nations community and amplify the push for a ‘Yes’ vote in the national Voice to Parliament referendum.
Australian artists such as A.B. Original, Baker Boy, Barkaa, Emma Donovan, Hilltop Hoods, Jimmy Barnes, Mo’Ju and Paul Kelly performed on one main stage, with special guest appearances and collaborations throughout the day.
The concert, attended by about 8000 people, featured a speech in support of the Yes vote by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was joined on stage by First Nations leaders and elders.
All proceeds were donated to not-for-profits and charities doing good work for the region and across Australia.
OUTintheOPEN festival experienced both pride and prejudice
The annual OUTintheOPEN festival took place in Shepparton from November 9 to 19.
The festival featured various events, including a Carnival Day at the Queen’s Gardens on November 18.
A drag storytime event at the Shepparton Library was cancelled due to safety concerns.
However, the queer community came together to host a pop-up drag storytime outside the library, attended by nearly 100 people.
Despite the cancellation of several other events during the festival due to similar safety concerns, festival convenor Damien Stevens-Todd praised the community for coming together in solidarity.
The festival’s theme for that year was ‘These are the days of our lives,’ which aimed to celebrate the rich queer history and culture and encourage exploration of pioneers and all that has gone before us.
Not-so-silent night at Carols by Candlelight
The 49th annual Carols by Candlelight was all smiles and no resting Grinch faces at Shepparton’s Queen’s Gardens on December 17.
About 3000 people attended the event and enjoyed delicious food and drinks from local community groups, vendors and businesses.
Several talented performers entertained the crowd, including the Awaken Dance Company and the Goulburn Valley Pipes and Drums group.
But the most exciting part of the event was the appearance of Santa Claus, Mrs Claus and the Christmas Fairy.
Greater Shepparton City Council expressed delight with the event and said it was looking forward to the 50-year celebration in 2024.
Journalist