Canberrans and visitors to the region packed out Civic for the ACT’s biggest showcase of cultures from around the world.
The National Multicultural Festival ran in Civic and at Glebe Park from 7-9 February.
An ACT Government spokesperson said the festival included more than 280 stalls, including about 140 community food, beverage and information stalls, 67 diplomatic information stalls and 76 commercial food, beverage, cultural items stalls.
The spokesperson said there were more than 200 performances, including community, volunteer and professional artist groups, across the three days
“The 27th National Multicultural Festival was another huge success, bringing together more than 170 cultures for a joyous weekend of celebrations,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re extremely grateful to all the community groups, stallholders, performers and volunteers who brought the festival to life.”
The spokesperson said while the official visitation figures were not yet available, Canberrans “once again turned out in force to enjoy the feast of the senses that is the Multicultural Festival”.
“Because we expanded further into Glebe Park, it also didn’t feel as crowded, and people had more space and shade to enjoy the festivities,” they said.
“The intense storm on Friday evening did result in the cancellation of some scheduled performances to ensure the safety of attendees, performers and stakeholders, but the weather over the rest of the weekend allowed the festival to continue full swing.”
The spokesperson said a highlight of the festival was the parade, which ran on the Saturday afternoon.
“Crowds lined the entire parade route to see the fantastic representation of cultures and music,” they said.
“The headline act, Thelma Plum, performed on Sunday afternoon and was exceptional, with thousands of people enjoying her musical talents and captivating performance.”
I headed to the festival on the Saturday afternoon, with the highlights being the different foods I tried across lunch and dinner – Egyptian shawarma, Italian cannoli, vegetarian Bhutanese Momo dumplings, and fried plantain (banana), and the parade.
For the parade, I made sure to find a prime spot on the route early – near Glebe Park – to ensure I got the best view.
The line up of the cultures on show was impressive and full of colour – from twirling skirts to Chinese dragons, traditional wear, dances and music, and even some Italian flag throwing!
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