Blooming good time at Wistara Festival

Cumberland Hospital I 9, 10 & 16, 17 September

Members of the community are invited to attend the Wistaria Festival, to be held on the grounds of Cumberland Hospital, for a blooming good time filled with fresh food, family fun and entertainment.

The festival is a major fundraising event for the hospital, with all money raised used to help rehabilitate mental health patients and enhance their hospital stay.

Some of the attractions for this year’s festival include the Dragolicious (drag queens), Arpita Khristi (an Indian cultural dance group), Harley Davidson motorbike rides, face painting and a variety of stalls.

Cumberland Hospital’s Wistaria Festival Committee chair Margaret Bannister said the festival was renowned for its appetising hamburgers, kebab sticks, Hokkien noodles and Devonshire teas.

“This free event has been a popular family fun day for more than 90 years, with more than a thousand people visiting each year,” she said.

“We welcome many busloads of tourists who visit and walk through the gardens, as well as families and people who want to enjoy the fresh air and the gorgeous colourful arrangements of flowers throughout the gardens.

“It’s great to see people out and about enjoying the sunshine, our award-winning gardens and being part of the hospital’s history.

“People can also visit the hospital museum and view the historic artefacts on display to learn more about the history of mental health care in Parramatta.”

The City of Parramatta Art Society will also hold a free art exhibition in the PARC building on the hospital grounds throughout the duration of the festival.

For more information about the Wistaria Festival, contact Cumberland Hospital on 9840 3000.