Coming to the Maude Street Mall these school holidays, the Winter Fun Zone will bring winter to life with an ice rink in the middle of town and a program of fun, affordable and free activities.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Kim O’Keeffe said this was a great partnership to bring a range of activities to town.
“Council is continuing to work with industry partners to bring new events to town which focus on families, arts, culture, music, liveability and food and the Winter Fun Zone will make a great new addition to the major events calendar for locals and visitors to enjoy,” Cr O’Keeffe said.
“Thank you to our partners for assisting in preparing a packed program of activities for all to enjoy these school holidays.”
Along with an affordable ticketed ice rink, the Winter Fun Zone will include a free area of children’s activities which will be set up to further attract visitors to the CBD promoting Shepparton’s family friendly lifestyle.
“We anticipate up to 10,000 people will attend the activation including around 30 per cent from outside the region, further increasing the region’s visitor economy and destination brand,” Cr O’Keeffe said.
Shepparton Show Me Chair Shane Sali said this would be an exciting opportunity for businesses to engage with the community and visitors.
“We have a packed program of activities to occupy the entire two weeks of the school holidays, including arts and crafts, cultural activities, inflatable slides, face painting and more,” Mr Sali said.
“This is an opportunity to highlight our thriving CBD, our great shops and restaurants to local families and visitors, we encourage businesses to get involved and promote special activities during the Winter Fun Zone.”
Acting President of the Shepparton Chamber of Commerce and Industry John Anderson said the Winter Fun Zone was an initiative to activate the CBD and grow spending in what is otherwise known as a quiet period for retailers.
“During the school holidays most families leave the region and we really want to show the locals they can enjoy themselves at home as well as encourage visitors travelling through to stay and enjoy the many great things Shepparton has to offer,” Mr Anderson said.
“This activation will help drive important stimulation for the region in traditionally the quietest part of the year helping support local jobs, keeping businesses busy and our economy strong.”
Owner and Franchisee of Nando’s Shepparton Anthony Trapani said holiday breaks were always times families come together.
“The Winter Fun Zone initiative is a great opportunity for families to spend time together and share new memories in Shepparton,” Mr Trapani said.
“Shepparton is always growing and as a business it is important for us to provide top quality service for our customers and together with the supporting partners we are all working hard to create an unique event experience to attract more visitors and support the local economy.”
The full program of events will be coming soon including session times and prices of the ice rink, for more information head to the Facebook Event Page, Winter Fun Zone.
Winter Fun Zone coming to Shepparton Maude Street Mall, June 27 to July 14.