By Cr Trent Sullivan
It might be a week away, but winter is well and truly upon us.
The cooler weather has landed and will only become more prevalent in the months ahead.
Despite this, there is still much happening in the Greater Geelong region.
In the coming weeks there are two festivals I am looking forward to attending.
The National Celtic Festival is always a major drawcard along the Bellarine and being a Portarlington resident, this holds special significance.
Council has been a long-time partner of the National Celtic Folk Festival and is proud to once again be supporting it via Geelong Major Events.
The Greater Geelong region has strong Celtic connections that can be observed in the names of our streets and suburbs, and this festival is a wonderful celebration of all things Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Manx, Cornish and Breton.
The music performances will once again be the highlight, but the festival is also about celebrating the richness of Celtic culture, connecting with like-minded community members and embracing our history.
So, I encourage you to get along between Friday 7 June and Monday 10 June to explore everything the festival has to offer.
Major events play a critical role in shaping our local economy and enhance our reputation on the national and world stage, and the National Celtic Folk Festival is one of the biggest annual events our region hosts.
Next month will also see the ReSound festival hit Geelong and the Bellarine.
As part of our Live & Local program, the free ReSound events will celebrate music and talent at a range of venues and support homegrown musicians and small businesses.
The festival kicks off in Ocean Grove on Saturday 1 June, with live music between 2pm and 6pm at Blackman’s Brewery, Bookgrove, Driftwood Cafe, KALA and The Piping Hot Chicken & Burger Grill.
Then on Saturday 22 June (between 2pm and 6pm) music lovers can head to central Geelong to see 20 performances at Beav’s Bar, Medusa, Murran First Nations Hub, Lou’s Pizza and Wine, Pistol Pete’s Food n Blues, Popcultcha Records & Books and The Hot Chicken Project.
Music is so ingrained in the culture and history of our region and we are lucky to have such an eclectic blend of musicians wanting to showcase their talents here this June.
For the full schedule for both days and details on the artists performing, visit geelong.link/ReSound and for information on the National Celtic Folk Festival, visit the nationalcelticfestival.com website.
