In York, the heart of the Avon, people are coming together this weekend to learn, understand and celebrate; an inclusive celebration of First Nations history and culture, inviting connection through storytelling, language, art, music, dance and food.

Ballardong First is a community-led celebration of Ballardong Noongar Culture, created by Ballardong community members and supported by Wheatbelt Arts & Events Inc.

Through art, music, workshops, storytelling and truth-telling, the program invites people of all ages to connect with culture, country and one another.

The festival kicked off on Saturday, featuring Gundjitmara Palawa storyteller chef Zach Green who cooked his traditional food of Magpie Goose whilst telling heartfelt stories of the Dreamtime and his personal journeys.

"Its really important for mobs to be able to still get the traditional food" he stated, "Being in the country and following the seasons and getting traditional foods is still a big part of our life," he told National Indigenous Times.

"Having an Indigenous First Nation's Festival on this weekend is always, always a good thing because I think people start to understand when it comes to this date."

The day also featured workshops such as Mooley the Cow & Other Ballardong Yarns, Basket Weaving Workshops, and Zero Emcee Hip Hop workshop.

"Over the years we have built up the festival as we have been able to get a bit more funding and we are getting a bit more media attention so we're getting more people travel to York for the weekend," said festival coordinator Jo Bryant.

"So, people travel from Perth because they don't like the really traditional Australia Day events. It's very flag-waving and there are a lot of people who are not comfortable with that (on January 26). That's what people have said to me, they have come up because they see this as an inclusive event," she said.

Sunday will be a busy day as the Bushtucker Picnic by the Avon River attracts families to come together.

Monday, the 26th, will feature Noongar Elders and leaders such as Dennis Kickett having a truth telling session where they share their personal journeys over time which will wrap up the festival.

More information is available online.