The 2018 Lismore Friendship Festival
A community festival of Italian food, culture, music and more.
The Lismore Friendship Festival’s – Piazza in the Park – on Sunday 24th June is a free fun-filled family annual outdoor event acknowledging the contribution Italians have made to the Northern Rivers.
It’s a great opportunity to celebrate community by being ‘Italian for the day’ as we celebrate the relationship between Lismore and Conegliano and Vittorio Veneto, our sister cities in Italy through music, dancing, performances, food, wine, displays and games for all ages.
Bring your friends, pull a team together for the Tug-O-War, attend an Italian language or Tarantella lesson in the morning. Buy an Italian themed coat hanger from the CWA! If you’re early enough you can pick up Crostoli from the FF Dolci Bar. Wear your dancing shoes and dress up in green, white and red!
Learn Buon giorno (‘bwon zhor-no’) Italian for Good morning and Grazie mille (‘graht-zee-eh mee-leh’) for Thank you very much and use them on the day.
Benvenuti a tutti! Everyone welcome!
What’s On Sunday 24th!
LisAmore!
🇮🇹 Hello I’m Luigi. I am a loveable little chap! I started as the Friendship Festival’s mascot, but I am so beloved that I am now becoming the face of the 2018 Friendship Festival’s Piazza in the Park on Sunday, June 24!
The accordion I am playing is to remind everyone that music is at the heart of the celebration in the Park. There is also dancing, games, great authentic food and wine, coffee, stalls, kids entertainment, Italian cars and bikes, a tug-o-war competition and a fun filled family day to catch up with locals and visitors. You can love me and Lismore (LisAmore) at the same time and have yourself a day to be Italian with a twist!
P.S. You can see me in the Lismore Lantern Parade the night before the Piazza in the Park and hear all my followers shouting LisAmore!
Lismore loves Italy!
From June 15 if you’re in Lismore look for the proud participation poster at the entrance of businesses who have come on board to help celebrate and celebrate the contribution Italians have made to our community and to reinforce our sister city relationship with Conegliano in Italy that began in 1990. This project aims to encourage businesses in the CBD to offer a variety of sensational Italian inspired deals for residents and visitors to the city centre.
Dozens of businesses in Lismore’s CBD have got behind the project and are now participating in this celebration of an Italian experience for shoppers by decorating their premises with the green, white and red of the Italian flag and highlighting merchandise with a distinctive Italian flair.
Shoppers keen to participate and promote their experience can snap a selfie of themselves enjoying the delights of participating shops and upload your pic using hashtag #friendshipfestival or #piazzainthepark to your Instagram or Facebook pages.
Thank you to everyone who got behind this idea. Your contribution and inclusion is how we grow this community event for Lismore and our guests.
For more information contact Wendy on 0404 086 290.
2018 Raffle
Thank you Rex, Ramada Hotel and Suites Ballina, Parker and Kissane and Bunnings for supporting this year’s giant raffle. Winners announced 2pm on Sunday at Piazza in the Park. You’ve got to be in it to win it! Tickets available on the day.
Our 2018 Performers
Domenico & The Latin Mafia
Domenico is one of Australia’s versatile multicultural cabaret entertainers, performing Jazz, Latin, Ballroom, Background, Rock & Pop and others that are sure to please all.
Domenico & The Latin Mafia will perform at the Rotunda at 11am, 12.35pm and 2.15pm – bring your dance shoes!
The Curly Cousins
The Curly Cousins present family friendly, fun-filled children’s music, capturing the imagination of everyone who is young at heart!
The Curly Cousins will perform at the Rotunda at 10.25 and then again at the Kids Space at 12.30pm.
Antonio Giri Mazzella
Whether as a Carnivale Capitano or a Nonna dressed in black, Antonio loves getting folks together to connect, laugh and live a little brighter.
Look out for Antonio in the Lantern Parade and on the day as our MC and more!
Pulling Together for Lismore
Calling one and all – join the fun at the Friendship Festival!
Organise six (for an adult’s team) or eight (for a children’s team) of your friends and colleagues to form your very own ‘Tug-of-War Team’ to share lots of laughs and friendly competition.
To register your team contact Christine on 0428 841 376
Italian Bikes and Cars
Do you own a vintage or contemporary Italian car or bike? Join the fun at Piazza in the Park to show off your treasures. Come for the day or just a few hours.
Contact Festival Manager Aliison Kelly on 0428 216 079 or aliison@internode.on.net for more information.
Lismore Friendship Festival – Piazza in the Park
10am – 3pm Sunday 24 June 2018 • Spinks Park, Lismore
Photos: Peter Derrett, Denise Alison, Alex Clarke and Lisa Gough
Sponsorship Opportunities
Piazza in the Park is an authentic free family friendly community event that encourages residents and visitors to the city to become Italian for the Day!
The past two festivals have attracted over 3000 attendees each day to Spinks Park in Lismore’s CBD, with 25% joining the fun from outside the region. The outdoor riverside location is filled with music, food and wine and diverse activities with a distinctive Italian twist.
This year the Festival is on Sunday, 24 June 2018 from 10am – 3pm, the day after Lismore’s iconic Lantern Parade.
We have some fantastic, and affordable, sponsorship packages available … Download the Sponsor Package [pdf 1.8mb]If you have questions, or need more information, please click here to send our Festival Manager an email.
Our Wonderful Sponsors
Prizes donated by
Numero di giorni ....
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
Conegliano
Conegliano is a town in the centre of the Veneto-Friuli region, north of Treviso, in north-east Italy. Described as a miracle of nature both for the the wine it produces, and for the sumptious hilly countryside from which it arises.
The region is famous for its Prosecco, a dry, crisp white wine, which was promoted to DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) status in 2009, Italy’s highest oenological distinction.
lonelyplanet.com/italy/conegliano
New Italy
The New Italy Museum Inc. honours the spiritual legacy of Italian pioneer families who, through courage and community, established “New Italy”. It celebrates the multicultural heritage shared by all peoples.
The New Italy Museum Complex stands within acreage that was once part of the original New Italy Settlement and is located on the Pacific Highway in Northern NSW, between Byron Bay and Grafton.
Excellent coffee and plenty to see!
Lismore Lantern Parade
LightnUp Inc is a community based arts organisation based in Lismore in the heart of the Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia.
LightnUp create artwork inspired by light and shadow, working with communities to tell their stories. They also undertake commissions, hire out their beautiful lanterns for installations and themeing for corporate, private and community events.
The 2018 Lismore Lantern Parade is on 23 June, the night before the Lismore Friendship Festival.
lanternparade.com