The Festival of Colours 2016

PROUDLY sponsored by the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Surf Coast Shire, this special family-friendly event will be held on the grounds of the Barwon Park Mansion in Winchelsea and all are welcome to come along and participate in the fun.

This ancient festival was first practised by Lord Krishna, the God of play, 5000 years ago in Vrindavan, India. The festival is regarded as a blissful exchange between all participants and promotes peace between all who participate and playfully throw coloured dye on one another.

In recent years, this festival has gained international popularity, and is now celebrated on every continent.

At this festival, a rainbow of colours will be thrown in unison in front of the main stage. Each hour the MC will alert everyone to throw their packets of coloured powders. Colours will spring from our hearts and rain from the sky as we dance and sing together. A good part of the day will be spent throwing colours. For best results, come with a white T-Shirt!

Adding to the bustling atmosphere will be a range of interactive activities, including a variety of stage entertainment, such as live music and cultural performances, as well as meditation, fortune-telling and henna body art sessions.

For the little ones, there will be face-painting, a jumping castle, kids activities and more. A diverse range of delicious vegetarian and vegan snacks and dishes will also be available for sale on the event day (priced from $5 to $10). Entry is included with the purchase of colour.

Packets of colour can now be pre-purchased at a discounted price through the Eventbrite website at eventbrite.com.au/e/festival-of-colours-2016: 3 packets are priced $10 online; at the venue 1 packet will cost $5. The pre-purchased colour packets will be given to participants at the venue registration table on the event day (an Eventbrite ticket must be presented). Car parking on the property is priced at $10 per car.

There is ample parking on site, and disability parking is also provided.

Please note that this is a family friendly event and no alcohol, drugs, meat or smoking is allowed on property and no refunds are possible once colour packets are sold. If the weather is Code Red or Extreme, this event will be cancelled to ensure the safety of all patrons, volunteers and staff. Please check our website or Facebook page for updates.

This event is organised by Hare Krishna Valley, an organic farm and retreat centre based on the principles of eastern spirituality and dedicated to demonstrating an example of natural living and higher thinking. The residents of the Valley are committed to the principles of eco living and practise the ancient art of bhakti-yoga. The farm is in the process of establishing a humanitarian dairy as part of their Care for Cows program.

On the second Sunday of each month, the farm hosts an open day which includes mantra meditation, an enlightening discourse and a sumptuous vegetarian feast. Regular retreats are scheduled throughout the year, and include topics such as yoga, vegetarian cooking, ayurveda and vedic astrology.

The Festival of Colours will be held on Sunday 20th March 2016, 11am to 4pm, at Barwon Park Mansion, 105 Inverleigh Road, Winchelsea. For more information on this event, please visit the official website:

festivalofcolours.com.au and check out our Facebook page to see all the photos and fun we had last year!