Colourful community celebration set to become annual event

INDIA’S vibrant Holi festival brought a burst of colour to Brunswick Heads last weekend, as dozens of women and children gathered to joyfully douse one another in bright clouds of powdered paint.

Around 80 people attended the celebration by the river at Banner Park, organised by local not-for-profit Together She Thrives.

The organisation’s founder and wellness advocate Di Browne said the response had been overwhelming, with the committee already deciding to make it an annual event.

“I’ve never heard so much laughter from a big group of women in my life,” she said. “It was lovely. The committee all got to join in. It was like going back to your childhood – it just felt like a great big paint fight.

“All the comments we got back were saying it was amazing and we have to do it again.”

The event was timed to coincide with Holi, the Indian festival that marks the arrival of spring and symbolises renewal, connection and joy.

 

Browne said the idea came from her daughter, who works in early childhood education in Sydney, where Holi is often celebrated in childcare centres.

Mullumbimby-based Browne launched Together She Thrives in 2025 to help women build connection through free, community-based activities for women from throughout the Northern Rivers region, including breathing workshops, bushwalks and barefoot bowls.

The organisation also runs free four-week programs for teenage girls, aimed at strengthening mental health and wellbeing amid growing challenges such as social isolation, anxiety, natural disasters and ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

Browne is also a group fitness instructor who offers $5 community Pilates classes and a gentle, chair-based exercise program for older adults.

In recognition of her contribution to the community, Browne received the Contribution to Health and Wellbeing Award at the 2025 Byron Shire Council Community Awards.

 

With Together She Thrives events typically capped at smaller numbers, the committee has been exploring ways to host larger, more inclusive gatherings. This year’s Holi celebration was limited to 100 registrations, but organisers hope to expand the event next year.

Upcoming events include laughter yoga on 13 March, pickleball on 18 March, a macrame workshop on 25 March, boxing and meditation on 31 March, a clothes swap on 11 April, a bushwalk in Goonengerry National Park on 15 April and a luncheon for women 65 and over at Mullumbimby District Neighbourhood Centre on 20 April. The next Teen Girls Four-Week Program also begins on 14 March.

For more information, to register for an event or to volunteer, follow Together She Thrives on Facebook

or email [email protected]