Page 520 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 14 March 2007
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diversity. The 2007 National Multicultural Festival was a great success and it will go down as one of the best on record. More than 45,000 people ate their way through food such as Spanish paella and Belgian sausages at the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets Food and Dance Spectacular. I can personally attest to the splendour of the Spanish paella. The festival showcased the culinary delights of the dozens of diverse communities that make up our city.
There were more than 140 stalls at this year’s Food and Dance Spectacular—the most on record and an increase of more than 30 per cent on last year’s numbers. I overheard one man and his wife from Sydney say that they had risen at 3 o’clock in the morning to make sure that they got down in time to enjoy all the splendour of the Food and Dance Spectacular. That is a true indication of how popular this festival is becoming.
The Greek Glendi drew 9,000 people into the heart of Civic to participate in traditional games, enjoy Greek music and snack on food such as souvlaki and dolmades. It was an event that started in the morning and lasted well into the night, with thousands of people walking away with great memories and a little extra knowledge about what it is like to live the Greek culture.
At the ActewAGL Contact Canberra event, more than 7,000 people wandered through City Walk and explored the more than 70 stalls that were offering information. Organisations that participated included Amnesty International, the Human Rights Commission, Parentline ACT, the National Trust, Apex clubs, St Vincent de Paul and a variety of government agencies.
One of the happiest and most colourful events of the 2007 festival was the annual Pacific Islander showcase, which attracted more than 6,000 people. It was a fun day of traditional singing and dancing, and it truly showcased the many talented people living in our community.
The fun of that entertainment carried on later that evening in the Hellenic Club Carnivale, which attracted 30,000 people with its promise of a night filled with hot Latin dancing and music. With two stages that provided non-stop entertainment, the crowd tangoed the hours away; it was considered a highlight of the festival.
On the final day of this year’s festival, the sweet sounds of opera classics, including La Boheme and Rigoletto, filled the night air at Rond Terraces, signalling the end of the multicultural festival for another year. More than 2,100 people—many armed with picnic baskets bulging with gourmet goodies—shared the experience of Opera by the Lake, and no-one walked away disappointed.
Overall, this year’s festival was nothing short of fantastic. Already many people are looking forward to next year’s event. I can tell you, Mr Speaker, that I am looking forward to some more paella. The festival is the physical manifestation of the ACT government’s commitment to providing all members of the community with the opportunity to explore our diverse cultures.
Thousands of people took advantage of this opportunity, with excellent attendances recorded for all the events held throughout the 14 days of the festival. These included 600 people at the festival gala dinner; 1,600 people at lunchtime showcases; 1,200
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