rm_cultural_festivals

 Our Home Page | Cultural Festivals | Cultural Precincts | Traditional Melbourne Festivals and Events | MCS CBD Homepage ** CULTURAL FESTIVALS ** There are so many cultural festivals located in the city of Melbourne, but we will be covering only a few of them on this page. Cultural festivals are a vital part of Melbourne's cultural system and without them, everything would be very dull and un-exciting. The cultures that we will be covering are the Chinese, Aboriginal, Indian, Thai and Greek ones. Become mesmerized and enjoy the enchanting information on these cultural festivals. Chinese New Year | Share The Spirit Festival | Diwali Indian Festival Of Light | Thai Culture And Food Festival | Antipodes Festival (Greek) **CHINESE NEW YEAR** The Melbourne Chinese New Year celebration has been Melbourne's most celebrated festival for the last few years. The festival, which will be held on a weekend for 2010, starts on the eve of the Chinese New Year on the 13th February for a run of 8 full hours, and then continues on the 14th February for 10 hours. It is held at Melbourne's Chinatown, on Little Bourke Street. Entry to the festival is free for all people and is for the whole family to attend. The festival hosts a variety of different Chinese activities, stalls and foods, all of which, will be there to show off Chinese culture and show everyone how much of a celebrative culture they are. The features will include Chinese opera and singing, karaoke, arts stalls, delights, dances, crafts, dragon parades and a variety of different children's competitions and events. All of this is then followed by a countdown, fireworks and traditional lion dances accompanied by the beating of drums, which are made to chase the bad spirits of the previous year away. It is said to be true that when one touches the dragon, one gets great future fortune and luck.

To get more information on Chinese culture, history and traditions, please refer to the following link : Little Bourke Street (Chinatown)

Back to top ** SHARE THE SPIRIT FESTIVAL ** The music festival, Share The Spirit is a time for the community, both Indigeous Australian and immigrant Australian, to come together and celebrate a variety of different music including pop, rock, jazz, rap, hip hop, folk, blues and most importantly, Indigenous. The event is proudly supported by the City Of Melbourne, The office of Indigenous Policy Coordination and Indigenous radio station. The festival is held to show respect and support to the original Australians, the Aboriginies.The festival is held on the 26th January at the Treasury Gardens, corner of Spring Street and Wellington Parade, Melbourne from 12pm to 6pm. There is no entry fee, and there are food, handicraft, t-shirt, bags, boomerangs, didgeridoos, photography art stalls. The festival starts with a welcome to country and healing ceremony and is followed by many musicians and artists that sing and play songs to show respect to the Aboriginal community.

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** DIWALI INDIAN FESTIVAL OF LIGHT ** The Diwali Indian Festival of Light is one of Indian cultures most significant festivals in Melbourne, and is held at Federation Square on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Street in Melbourne, on the 10th October. year. many many people attend, as it is very popular. The festival features Bollywood dances, craft, food, jewellery, music, movies/films, and many other stalls including magic shows for children, traditional henna hand painting and a magnificent, traditional show of sunset fireworks. The festival is one of India's most significant and famous festivals and is celebrated in parts of South Asia, as well as Australia.

Mr Brumby once said: "Diwali was, and is, an important occasion for the Indian community and a great example of how Victoria's multicultural community come together." We certainly think that this is true and hope that it will continue to be so.

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** THAI CULTURE AND FOOD FESTIVAL ** The Thai Culture and Food Festival is held at Melbourne's Federation Square every year on the 22nd March. The 2009 festival was the biggest and best festival out of them all. This event is held to showcase and celebrate the Thai food and culture with people of other cultures and races. This lively and colourful festival features many Thai food restaurants, dance performances, shows, Thai kick boxing, culture shows, Buddhist ceremonies, raffles, cooking demos, stalls full of Thai products, beauty pageants, Thai movies and films, wholesale products and handicrafts, and many many more. All items and products that are available to purchase at the festival are cheap and affordable. The festival is opened by an opening ceremony, plus a Buddhist ceremony and drum parade. In the past, the festival attracted more than 40,000 visitors. The festival is a family event, and is free for all whome attend. There are even a variety of different accomodations for those people who want to stay the night.

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** ANTIPODES GREEK FESTIVAL ** The Antipodes Festival is a Greek festival held on the 21st and 22nd March at Lonsdale Street. The Antipodes festival runs for one whole week every year, and first started in 1987. This festival turns Lonsdale Street into a fun packed Greek village, where everyone can enjoy Greek food, arts and entertainment. Many famous Greek male and female dancers and singers attend to perform for all that come. Everyone attends and there is a traditional performance of the Zorba dance. There is a baklava eating competition, backgammon championship, and fashion parades. Greeks love gardens, so you can go and learn energy methods. Children can go and enjoy hours and hours of activities, all including art areas, carnival rides and many more. Lonsdale Street is transformed into a place of food fests and culinary delights, and the Street will literally be buzzing with traditional Greek music, entertainment and dance for the entire family to enjoy. Many people think it is an awesome event.

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