BATHURST'S Australia Day celebrations will start a few days early this year, but the weekend promises a great day of fun for the whole family.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In an effort to ensure everyone can attend, the city's Australia Day awards ceremony will be held on Friday evening at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC).
Mayor Bobby Bourke said everyone is invited to come along at 5.30pm to see the presentation of significant awards to individuals and events.
"I encourage everyone to come down to BMEC to celebrate all those who give back so much to Bathurst," he said.
The awards to be presented include Event of the Year, Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year, the Youth Arts Award, the Jo Ross Greening Bathurst award and the Chifley Award.
Australia Day is on Sunday and in Bathurst the festivities will commence with the traditional barbecue breakfast at Eglinton.
The event will include an official ceremony, national anthem and flag raising, car displays, novelty races and giveaways for the kids.
The breakfast is free to attend, with the only cost being a gold coin donation for the barbecue.
Following the breakfast, a citizenship ceremony will be held at BMEC at 10am.
From 11am to 3pm, Manning Aquatic Centre Bathurst will offer free entry to community members so they can enjoy an afternoon by the pool.
"We're going to have the aqua inflatable, which will be great for the kids, and we'll have some other inflatables for them to use as well," aquatic centre manager Oliver Barclay said.
On Sunday, people will also get the opportunity to hear from Bathurst's Australia Day ambassadors, Roger and Lana Borg, who are the founders of Mama Lana's Community Foundation.
Cr Bourke said he was looking forward to chatting with the couple, as he shares their passion for helping the homeless and disadvantaged.
He encouraged people to attend the events planned for the day.
