Food, Fun, Friendship

The Festival
Cultural Fest is a five-day family event showcasing the talents of Queensland’s most exciting music and dance entertainers, foods and arts. The festival runs from the 13 – 17 August 2008 at Strand Park on the beautiful waterfront of Townsville, North Queensland.

 

History
Now in its fourteenth year, the Cultural Fest began as a one-day event featuring 20 local dance groups and food stalls. Today it is one of the largest and most well-known festivals of its kind in the country. In 2007 Cultural Fest attracted over 80,000 guests and involved at least 250 food sellers, music and dance groups, market stalls, schools and community groups. It is the most inclusive festival in Australia, happily involving diverse groups from belly dancers to Latino cuisine, from hula extravaganzas to mega drumming circles, from the Tropigo Street Carnival to authentic Indigenous arts and crafts. Cultural Fest has something for everyone!

 

Townsville –Tropical Paradise
Taking advantage of Townsville’s unique position on the Coral Sea, Cultural Fest is right on the Strand promenade and beach development. Cultural Fest has an enviable location of swaying palm trees, golden sand and a beautiful ocean view looking out to stunning Magnetic Island. The Strand is of one of Australia’s most beautiful and celebrated city beaches. Our tropical paradise setting is being highlighted this year with the introduction of a beach soccer competition, Save the World Environmental Exhibition and welcoming ceremony by Aboriginal Traditional elders.

 

 

Cultural Fest 2008 Events are even BIGGER!

• Youth Events - Including: Young and Wise intergenerational event, Save the World Day, Aussie Jigsaw Installation, youth dance party
  

• Pacific Rhythms Concert
  

• Bollywood Bombastic Concert
  

• Tropigo Carnival – ‘Spirits of the Pacific on the Move’
  

• Visiting International Artists
  

• Didgi-fire Spectacular - Including Corroboree on the Beach, Indigenous acts, Torres Straits Magic show
  

• Lantern Festival

• Children’s Film Festival
• Beach Soccer & Volleyball Tournaments
  

• Save the World Day – Environmental awareness exhibition and educational program

Programmed with Fun, the key to the Cultural Fest 2008's wide success:-

• The program will include a comprehensive range of activities involving various interests within the region.  Through special features of the program there will be concentrated efforts to serve the following interests: the army, pacific island cultures, Arabic cultures, Indigenous cultures, kids interests, youth aspirations, senior citizens and war veterans, religious groups, visual art community, cultural groups, scouts, environmentalists, peace activists, scientist, business and corporate sector, service clubs, school communities and sporting clubs.
  

• High Quality Performance Stage -- Cultural Fest will be characterized by an elaborate performance stage situated in a spectacular setting featuring ocean and Castle Hill views which will comfortably seat 2000 people.   The non-stop stage with  celebrity comperes ; featured out of town highlight performances;  well timed dance and music performances with  mass appeal;  increased stage features including lighting, curtaining and back drop with attention to detail program determination. 

• Global Village - With the atmosphere of a Pacific village, these thatch grass root huts are a bustle of activity selling and exhibiting the best arts and crafts of the region.   

• Cultural Food Fest - research has affirmed that the 25 + food stalls available are a key feature of Culture Fest for attracting visitors. 




• Cultural Fest 2008 will maximise its use of the Strand beach frontage.   Cultural Fest will have a colourful star gate to the ocean and will promote the beautiful Townsville beach and the Strand nationally.
  

• Kids corner - A corner of the increased space within the Cultural Fest will be home to an animal farm, face painting craft activities and rides for the children. 
  

• Ocean Village - The Ocean Village will feature Save the World Day environmental exhibition, sporting tournaments, arts & crafts activities and highlighted events such as the Hip Hop youth dance party and the arrival of the Pacific elders ceremony.
  

• Cultural Fest is a family friendly event with features such as a parent’s room available for families to look after their babies and youngsters in comfort.
• Cultural YOUTH Fest - In collaboration with 4 major youth groups in Townsville and Thuringowa – these young people will present a Youth Festival within the broader Cultural Fest.  
  
  
• Exceptional service -- In order to reach and maintain a unique atmosphere of quality, cohesion acceptance and celebration, Cultural Fest 2007 will provide exceptional volunteer training – creating a base of friendly service from security guards to performers, food and craft servers

 

Environmental Awareness - The festival has committed to raise awareness of global warning and environmental issues, towards this end a number of initiatives under the Save da World Day have been organised. This program involves all the high school in the region and national universities.

 

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