A celebration of culture put on display at Harmony Day in Katanning

Children scattered across the centre of Katanning on Saturday as they raced to grab hold of bubbles of colour amid a celebration of culture. Just as Dr Froth’s bubbles proved elusive, the culture of a place can be difficult to nail down, a mixture of tangibles and intangibles that form the fabric of a community. This year’s Harmony Festival put Katanning’s culture on show, providing a platform for people to express their heritage, free of judgment. The main stage on Austral Terrace was graced with ancient performance art from around the world, including the Kong Hing Koon lion dancers, the Muchos Mariachi band and Malay Drummers. Market stalls lined the street outside Katanning train station to give the community the taste of the many cultures that make up a historic town at the agricultural heart of the Great Southern. Difficult conversations about race and culture were welcomed at cultural question-and-answer sessions at The Daily Grind Cafe. Malay, Noongar and Afghan guests answered questions about cultural stereotypes, their backgrounds and beliefs. While the festival aimed to open the eyes, ears, hearts and minds of the Katanning community, it also provided plenty of old-fashioned family fun. Starz Dance performers rocked the stage in the late afternoon to showcase some of Katanning’s brightest young talent and icecream eating competitions were the cherry on top of a joyous day.