Eight cuisines, live performances from four continents, and not a single ticket required. Hornsby’s Taste of Harmony festival returns on Saturday 19 September, packing a full day of global flavours into Hornsby Park Gardens for free.
Running from 11am to 8pm outside the Hornsby Aquatic and Leisure Centre at 203 Peats Ferry Road, the one-day event brings together food stalls and cultural stages that span more than a dozen nations. Hornsby Shire Council is positioning it as a practical celebration of the Shire’s multicultural make-up, funded by the NSW Government and open to all ages.
Mayor Warren Waddell described the festival as a chance to meet your neighbours over a plate of something unfamiliar. “Taste of Harmony is a chance to celebrate the traditions, stories, music and flavours that help shape our community,” he said. “Whether you’re discovering a new cuisine, watching a performance from another culture or simply enjoying a day out with family and friends, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.”
The culinary line-up is unusually specific for a suburban festival. Vendors will serve German fare, Malaysian fusion, Southern American comfort food, Northern Chinese street snacks, South Indian fusion, Korean barbecue-style dishes, Middle Eastern specialities and Taiwanese favourites. It is a deliberate departure from the generic “international food” tent seen at many markets, and a nod to the eight communities that have put real kitchens behind the event.
On the performance side, stages will feature acts from South America, Iran, Africa, Brazil, Korea, China and India, with more groups joining the program. Between sets, families can move through free cultural workshops, face painting and children’s activities that run continuously across the nine-hour day. The outdoor lawn setting beside the leisure centre means there is room to spread out a rug and turn the afternoon into a relaxed discovery.
Taste of Harmony is not a one-off. It follows Taste of the World 2025 and represents a council strategy to embed multicultural programming into the community calendar year after year. State government backing turns what could have been a small local fete into a production capable of drawing visitors from across the Upper North Shore and beyond.
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Hornsby Shire Council
Local government authority responsible for the Hornsby Shire area on Sydney’s North Shore, delivering community events, parks, and inclusion programs.
Hornsby train station is a short walk away and multiple bus routes stop on Peats Ferry Road, making public transport the simplest way to arrive. Those who want to stretch the day can step into the adjacent aquatic centre for a swim, or walk into the Hornsby CBD for a coffee before the festival winds down. And unlike ticketed cultural nights that occasionally roll through the region, Taste of Harmony relies on a simpler entry policy: show up, follow the scent of Malaysian fusion, and let the afternoon unfold.