City’s Australia Day events cancelled

THE City of Greater Geelong has significantly scaled back its Australia Day celebrations for 2021, with many of the planned activities cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead of the usual annual events supported by the city across the municipality on January 26, the city will hold two small citizenship ceremonies at City Hall.

The most notable cancellation is probably the Festival of Sails, which annually attracts about 300 yachts and 4,500 sailing competitors to Melbourne and Geelong over the Australia Day holiday period.

More than 100,000 people usually flock to the Geelong over the four-day event to be part of the excitement.

The only Festival of Sails event to still be going ahead this year is the 178th instalment of the Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race, which will be held on January 24.

The city has also cancelled the Australia Day Free Family Fun Day, which was to be held at Rippleside Park with more than 40 free activities and displays for families and children to enjoy.

The City was also a major sponsor of the special Australia Day edition of Portarlington’s Monthly Market and live entertainment at the Rotunda, which was to be held on January 26 but has also been cancelled.

The market typically features more than 160 stalls.