By ALESHA CAPONE
BRIMBANK City Council has neither confirmed nor denied rumours that a popular annual festival will not take place next year.
The council’s director of community wellbeing, Neil Whiteside, did not confirm whether the Sunshine Festival would be held in 2014.
“The festival and event program for 2013/2014 has not been finalised at this stage,” Mr Whiteside said.
This year, the Sunshine Festival – which was previously known as the Brimbank Festival – attracted thousands of visitors on 23 March, when it was staged as part of Cultural Diversity Week.
Brimbank resident Michelle Edwards said a council officer recently informed her that there would still be an event – possibly musical – held in March next year, but that “the festival as we have known it” would not proceed.
She posted the news on an internet blog about Sunshine, and wrote that the council had not listed any festivals – apart from possibly the Keilor 150 Years celebrations – as part of their Key Strategic Activities in the Brimbank 2013-14 budget.
Fellow Brimbank resident Speroulla Christodoulou said it would be “a travesty if council didn’t keep the festival”.
“It’s probably the best event on their events calendar and probably one of the better festivals in the West,” she said.
“It’s the one event that appeals to everyone.
“I really think it keeps Sunshine together, it has a really happy atmosphere and people gain a respect for other cultures. The spin-off is that we all get along better and begin to care more about each other.”
Both Ms Christodoulou and Ms Edwards said many residents would be upset if the Sunshine Festival was not held next year.
