IN PICTURES: All the colour of Diwali as Albany community embraces Indian culture at inaugural festival

Hundreds turned out for Albany’s inaugural Diwali festival on Saturday as the town square was turned into a sea of bright colours, flavoursome smells and joyful music. Organisers of the festival were unsure what to expect ahead of the weekend, but were left thrilled by the support of the Albany community. Despite being organised on a modest budget by a small group of volunteers the festival’s crowd was thoroughly engaged from dusk into the earlier evening by the display of Indian culture. Diwali is India’s biggest holiday of the year and is celebrated across Australia by the Indian diaspora. Organisers are promising to bring the festival back bigger and better in 2024 after seeing how well the community embraced the concept at the weekend.