Cuba Street Carnival facts for kids
The Cuba Street Carnival was a fun street party and creative festival held in Cuba Street, Wellington, New Zealand. It was a big event where people celebrated with parades and performances. The carnival stopped happening after 2009 because it didn't have enough money. But don't worry, it came back in 2015 with a new name!
History of the Carnival
The Cuba Street Carnival started in 1998. A person named Chris Morley-Hall created it. This festival brought together hundreds of artists and performers. There were also street buskers (people performing in public for tips). The carnival featured a night street parade and a lively street market.
The idea for the carnival came from other exciting street parades. One famous example is the Notting Hill Carnival. When the Cuba Street Carnival was running, it attracted huge crowds. About 10,000 to 20,000 people would come to enjoy the fun!
In 2009, the event started happening every two years. This change was made to avoid clashing with another big event. That event was the New Zealand International Arts Festival.
Many cool bands and performers played at the festival. Some of these included Fat Freddy's Drop, Trinity Roots, and The Black Seeds. The parades also featured awesome samba bands. Two well-known ones were Wellington Batucada and AKSamba.
Bringing the Carnival Back
In 2011, a group called the Creative Capital Arts Trust was formed. Their goal was to organize both Wellington's Fringe Festival and the Cuba Street Carnival. However, they didn't set a date for the carnival right away.
In 2012, the Wellington City Council asked the trust for help. They wanted a plan to bring the festival back to life.
By 2014, the Wellington City Council decided to help fund the new festival. They set aside $250,000 for a new Cuba Street event. This new festival was planned for late March or early April 2015. The total cost for the event was expected to be around $500,000.
The revived festival was given a new name. It is now called CubaDupa.
