This year it’s running from 3-16 March, and its purpose is to celebrate the role and contributions older adults make in our local community.

I’m always grateful to those with lived experience who call Wollongong home. Often it’s these dedicated people who embrace the volunteer life, are regular patrons of creative arts and sporting events, and who you’ll find introducing the next generations to early reading in our libraries.

There’s a wide range of activities on offer as part of this year’s festival – and much of the program is free!

See the events listing on Council’s website

Next week, one of the biggest ticket items on the 2025 Seniors Festival in Wollongong is on. It’s the Lord Mayor’s Afternoon Tea Dance.

This will be the first time I’ve hosted the dance in my capacity as Lord Mayor and I’m assured it’s always a great afternoon of entertainment and dancing and includes a delicious light afternoon tea.

This event was proudly supported by NSW Government Seniors Festival

In fact, I’ve been told the tickets for this event are as hot as tickets to an Illawarra Hawks home game in this semi-final series!

The majority of local activities and events offered as part of the Festival are delivered by community groups and seek to promote community connectedness, health and wellbeing and lifelong learning.

I’d like to acknowledge all the various local community organisations, not-for-profits and local businesses who have registered events for the NSW Seniors Festival to support our local community.

Looking out for each other is one of the things we do best in Wollongong, and I hope that anyone who comes along to one of these events meets someone new, does something that challenges them and that they discover a new interest or hobby.