Pasta, prosecco, coffee and cake are on the menu for Lismore’s Friendship Festival – which, despite being postponed this year, is getting ready for June 2021 in Spinks Park.

The festival with a strong Italian flavour is set to be better than ever after receiving a big cheque for $3,210 from Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan this week.

Festival president Ros Derrett said the money will go towards providing a “waste” experience, as well as first aid training qualifications and a dedicated marquee for festival volunteers.

This year would have been the fifth year for the Friendship Festival, which celebrates Italian culture in the community and brings approximately 5000 people into the CBD each year.

Ros said getting volunteers on board was going to be made even easier with the grant money.

“We are all volunteers,” Ros said. “We are excited to engage more young people as volunteers for next year and be able to upskill them and provide them with training.”

“Aliison Kelly, our festival manager is also looking at how we can recycle, reuse and educate people about being in public spaces and not leave a lot of waste.

“When you are serving food in a public space, waste is a big problem a big problem – and we are engaging partners in the local community to help us with the community education.”

With Covid still looming into the future, Ros said the festival will still likely be looking at social distancing, but encouraging people to bring their own receptacles and have water available.

Italo Club

The Australian-Italo Club and its volunteers have played an important role in the running of the festival over the years, and despite the club’s recent financial worries and potential closure, Ros said the club will remain a part of the Friendship Festival.

“The Italo Club was instrumental in auspicing us in our first year and uses the festival as a fundraiser,” she said.

“We are participating as members of the Italo Club and look forward to seeing them go forward if the Club Marconi amalgamation opportunity comes through.

“It’s a good relationship because this festival has a strong Italian feel and celebrates the relationship between Lismore, its Italian settlers and two sister cities in Italy.

“We need more people on board with a commitment to Italian relationships and look forward to working with the Italo Club and the wider community to make sure the festival works.

“We have a relationship with a city in Italy known to be the centre of prosecco making in Europe so will certainly acknowledge that.”

The festival is hoped to he held in June 2021, but Ros said they will just have to wait and see what happens. Regardless of when it is held next, it will offer lots of Italian food, a kids’ stage and workshops for children, as well as an Italian film festival.