Experience ‘Our Townsville’ celebration at Anderson Gardens
Our Townsville returns with vibrant activities, featuring dance, dogs, and community spirit at Anderson Gardens.
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Townsville is set to shine as the biennial Our Townsville event transforms Anderson Gardens on Sunday, showcasing the vibrant spirit and diverse offerings of the community
First launched in 2021, Our Townsville celebrates the heart of our community, bringing together elements of Eco Fiesta, Heritage Day, Pet Expo, Mentally Healthy Expo, Get Active Expo and Get Ready Day.
This jam-packed day features live entertainment, market stalls, workshops, food trucks, and pet-friendly activities, giving residents the perfect excuse to get outdoors, meet new people, and connect with community groups from across the city.
Global Dance Collective director Cara Griffin calls Our Townsville “a love letter in the form of an event”.
“It’s mind blowing when you realise how much we have available in our beautiful town. This event gives you a chance to get out and chat to people directly while enjoying the beautiful surroundings,” she told NQ Weekend..
The dance group will be hosting a free silent disco at the event for attendees to enjoy.
“We create our own audio experience that we share as a group, while the rest of the world watches on in joy - and maybe a little envy of how much fun we are having,” Cara says.
“All participants are supplied with headphones and are listening to the same music while their guide takes them on a fun musical journey.
“Expect lots of laughs, some spontaneous dancing, some flash mob style antics, a little group singing and an overall great sense of joy, community and connection.
“We love being part of Our Townsville, talking to all the lovely people of Townsville and admiring all the gorgeous dogs people walk through the park.”
Pets are a centrepiece of the civic event, with Farmer Dave Graham bringing his much-loved DockDogs and K9 Superwall programs back to Our Townsville this year after a stellar debut in 2023.
But bringing DockDogs to regional centres is about more than the event itself for the canine whisperer.
“Recently a mother and a grandmother spoke to me at two events - one in Sydney the other in Ballarat - and they both said their loved ones had completely changed their outlook on life and re-engaged with the community through doing DockDogs with their dog, growing their confidence and reason to be positive,” Farmer Dave says.
“It’s so beautiful to regularly hear stories where a fun dog sport can overcome social anxiety.”
He says events like Our Townsville are more than just a day out – they’re a way to forge lasting connections.
“I am the biggest advocate for bringing people together in local community events and as we know dogs are the social lubricant and common conversation starter for Australians, so having a celebration of Townsville, its culture, its every day heroes, is key to creating and forging strong local links,” he says.
“It’s great extending the friendly culture of the DockDogs communities to North Queensland and seeing dogs that love to fly do it in front of a cheering home crowd. There are no louder supporters than those in the north.”
This is a sentiment that Our Townsville ambassador and Creek to Coast host Scott Hillier agrees with.
The former Townsville local says his love for the city and its surrounds was still going strong after living in the north for more than 10 years.
“These events are super important to let the whole of Queensland and Australia know just how special Townsville is,” Scott says.
“Being an ambassador means you are representing a product, so to represent Townsville as a city is very cool.”
Scott has even shared his best fishing tips with NQ Weekend ahead of Our Townsville.
“It’s tough to have one favourite fishing spot in Townsville, but for barra I like to head a little bit south of Townsville and fish the rivers there,” he says.
“For offshore fishing, I’d recommend heading east-north-east straight out from Townsville harbour for around 45 nautical miles, that’s always a great area to chase a few red fish.”
Fresh-caught fish is music to the ears of MasterChef finalist Rhiannon Anderson, whose coral trout wontons featured on the Channel 10 show.
Rhiannon will be hosting live cooking demonstrations at Sunday’s event, sharing her sizzling skills with audience members, as well as joining the judging panel for the Backyard BBQ Battle.
“I absolutely loved every second of live cooking at Eco Fiesta last year, watching all the smiling faces of the people watching my live demonstrations and also having the opportunity to feature local organic producers, so I’m really excited to be back for Our Townsville this year,” Rhiannon says.
It’s not just bringing the kitchen outdoors that makes this an unforgettable event for Rhiannon – it’s the chance to share her love for Townsville with the residents and visitors who chat to her throughout the day.
“It’s incredible to have the whole community come and enjoy a day out featuring so many amazing things our beautiful city has to offer,” she says.
“I love seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces at this special day out. We are super lucky to have such a wonderful team in our council and the effort they put into making this an incredible event.”
Our Townsville runs from 9am to 4pm on Sunday at Anderson Gardens. Entry is free.
For more information, visit the What’s On Townsville website.
Originally published as Experience ‘Our Townsville’ celebration at Anderson Gardens
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