With “the weather gods” against them, the Orange CultureHub’s vice-president was part of a team forced to “re-calibrate the entire operation” by moving many of the Northcourt activities undercover.

He said the last-minute reshuffle hadn’t taken away from the enjoyment of the event, and that despite the forecast and slow start, an afternoon crowd helped Masala attract around 1000 visitors.

“[Orange Masala] recognises the evolution and growth of Orange, we have a large number of different ethnic cultures here, not big numbers but many different groups,” Mr Burke said.

“Food and music are joyful things, and they bring out good will and happiness.”

Taking its name from the word given to a mix of Indian spices, Orange Masala was created to bring together people from all backgrounds for food and entertainment.

Part of the Orange Youth Arts Festival, the day included performances, as well as food from around the world.

Mr Burke said events like Masala demonstrate to the public how beneficial diversity is to communities, especially in regional areas.

“Smaller groups from other countries often feel a sense of absence in smaller towns because they don’t have the support of bigger communities like in the cities,” he said.

According to the 2016 Census almost 10 per cent of Orange’s residents are born overseas.

Mr Burke said it was the responsibility of government agencies and counselors to put the framework in place to assist their transition, while groups like CultureHub could also implement measures to make them feel welcome.

Sri Kaipu said she brought her children to Masala to experience different cultures.

Having moved from India to Australia six years ago, and having been an Orange resident for three years, Mrs Kaipu admitted it had taken a while to get settled.

But something as simple as belonging to a group which communicated through messaging application, WhatsApp, had helped her and other newcomers feel at home.