Cowra Festival Honours Wiradjuri Language

Published on 09 February 2022

Planning is in full swing and excitement is building for this year’s Cowra Festival, taking place from Thursday 31st March to Sunday 3rd April.

Rather than focus on an individual country, this year will see the celebration of the proud history of the Festival, along with the cultural history and diversity of the Cowra region.

“To emphasise and celebrate the essential role that Indigenous language plays in Cowra’s cultural identity, the Festival Committee invited the Cowra Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) to contribute a phrase from the traditional owners of this country,” said Festival Coordinator, Meredith Burton.

“We’re delighted to include Yindyangidyal Nguramang – from the Wiradjuri language meaning ‘to honour/respect country’ – as a Festival tagline this year, which captures the essence of this year’s Festival perfectly. We’re also working closely with the Cowra LALC to incorporate indigenous language workshops and cultural activities in this year’s program,” Ms Burton said.

The Festival will retain its headline events, including the opening dinner, parade, carnival, Youth Ambassador Program and sporting events, but there are also some new and exciting competitions being held this year.

The My Cowra, My Place competition is all about sharing something you think is special about Cowra. This can be presented as a poem, poster or brochure, a PowerPoint presentation or a short film. Entries close on Friday 25th February and finalists in each category will be displayed at the Cowra Visitor Centre during March, with the winners announced at the Festival Carnival on the 2nd April.

Cowra’s Got Talent is another great new competition, open to everyone! Entry is free and there are huge prizes on offer. There will be three heats, the first being held at the Cowra Services Club at 6.30pm on Sunday 27th February. Musicians, bands, singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, actors and more can download the entry form(PDF, 88KB) .

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