Bigger and better community festival on the cards

There will be plenty to keep the whole family entertained at this year's Whittlesea Community Festival. (Supplied)

The City of Whittlesea Community Festival is back next month and council promises it will be bigger and better than ever.

The festival will be held at at Civic Centre precinct in South Morang, from 11am-5pm on Sunday, March 19, from 11am to 5pm, and will feature live performances, free activities, art installations, market stalls, roving performers, cultural activities and much more.

This year’s event will also include a free Pet Expo, a Sustainability Lane where you can learn tips and tricks about living more sustainably, council will be announcing the recipients of the City of Whittlesea Community Awards.

Council’s chair administrator Lydia Wilson said the event promised to be a celebration of community.

“We are thrilled to be presenting such a busy and fun event to our community this year,” she said.

“I am looking forward to celebrating this year’s theme “The World Around Us” and enjoying so much of what our diverse community has to offer.

“I am also looking forward to presenting our community awards and recognising those who have gone above and beyond to make the City of Whittlesea a wonderful place to live.”

The festival will showcase a range of performers live on stage including singers Kylie Auldist and Dave Arden and jazz vocalist Fem Belling, Dream Team and many more local performers.

Festival-goers can also enjoy free local performances on stage at the Plenty Ranges Art and Convention Centre (PRACC) throughout the day.

And PRACC will also be hosting a special Community Festival performance the night before with Astrid and Otto bringing their exciting cabaret show to South Morang.