Australian Festival and Australians Abroad Announce "The Gathering"
Concert and Party to take place on Saturday of the Festival!
April 13, 2004
The Australian Festival in association with Australians Abroad are proud to announce and introduce "The Gathering - an Australian Homecoming Event" that will be held at this year's Australian Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. "The Gathering" will include the "Gathering Concert" at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 11, which will be held in front of the Parthenon (free and open to the general public) - and the official "Gathering Party," which is proposed to be held at the Australian Pavilion during the concert.

"The Gathering" concept was introduced to the Australian Festival by Australians Abroad member Andy Townsend (click here for Andy's bio), with his vision of calling all Australian ex-pats now living in the USA to make the trek to Nashville to join fellow Aussies in celebrating their heritage. Andy, who lives in New Hampshire, was feeling homesick (as many of us Aussies do) and he started bouncing the idea around on Australians Abroad Pub with No Beer (online forum) - and the idea caught wind. He then contacted Festival Director Peter Beare, who quickly embraced the idea. "The Australian Festival is about sharing our culture with our American friends," stated Peter. "What better way to share it than to have as many Aussies in town as possible to show and raise our flag?"  Here is Andy's description of "The Gathering"....

"'The Gathering" concept came about via discussion on Australians Abroad. Some of us were all feeling rather homesick, and I posted a discussion re all of us getting together once a year in a central spot somewhere in the world, as a sort of homecoming you could have without going home, a chance to reconnect with our culture and maybe one day get into the Guinness Book of Records for holding the largest gathering of Australians ever outside of Australia. After it was asked of everyone if they'd be up for it, it was agreed to approach the Festival to see if they'd be interested in having the gathering as a part of the fest. And that brings us to here. I'm very excited that this dream is set to become reality with "The Gathering" concert and party during the Australian Festival."  

For more details on "The Gathering" e-mail Andy and the Festival at gathering@gdaynashville.com - or you can reach Andy at (603) 382-8701.