• Bellarine Independent
• Geelong Independent
• Torquay Independent

Jessica Benton

4th March 2010 02:22:01 PM

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EXOTIC costumes and aromatic favours filled Geelong West’s cosmopolitan Pakington Street for the 28th annual Pako Festa last Saturday.

Organiser Luisia Lafornara, from Geelong multicultural services provider Diversitat, said the festival attracted tens of thousands of patrons.

“It was a massive day,” she said.

“We were so lucky with the weather. We did get a bit of drizzle but it didn’t deter people from coming along.”

Ms Lafornara said the festival, hailed as Victoria’s biggest multicultural event and Australia’s largest free cultural celebration, featured “one of the longest parades” of ethnic community groups.

“The Indonesian community won the award for the best float, with over 100 people part of the entry,” she said.

“The Wathaurong community’s float also looked absolutely amazing.

“All of the groups really put a lot of effort into their floats and costumes and looked absolutely amazing.”

Ms Lafornara nominated the biggest drawcards of the day as the parade, performances, workshops, live entertainment, celebrity appearances and international food stalls.

Ms Lafornara said this year’s event attracted more cultural communities than ever before.

More than 20 cultural communities took part in the celebrations this year, including Maori and Wathaurong tribes.

Schools and various community organisations from across the region were also represented.

Ms Lafornara said the event provided ethnic communities with an opportunity to showcase and celebrate their cultural heritage in harmony.

“It’s so amazing that it reflects our local cultural diversity all in the one place, it’s just magic to be able to bring them all together,” she said.

“Pako Festa is one of the major events that allows the different communities to showcase their diversity.”

The Independent is a sponsor of Pako Festa.

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