Moomba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moomba Festival |
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Waterskiing events at Moomba
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| Genre | Carnival |
| Begins | Labour day long weekend (second Monday in March) |
| Frequency | annual |
| Location(s) | Melbourne, Australia |
| Years active | 70 |
| Inaugurated | 1955 |
| Attendance | 3.8 Million (2.3 Million tourists) (record - 2018) |
| Organised by | City of Melbourne |
Moomba is a big festival held every year in Melbourne, Australia. The City of Melbourne organizes this event, which is Australia's largest free community festival. It's a special tradition for Melbourne, celebrated over four days. This includes the Labour Day long weekend, from Friday to the second Monday in March. Moomba has been celebrated since 1955 and is very important to Melbourne's culture. Lots of people visit, sometimes over a million! In 2018, a record 3.8 million people attended.
Since 2003, the festival has been called Melbourne Moomba Waterfest. Many of its main events happen around the Yarra River.
Some popular events include the Moomba parade, where a King and Queen are crowned. There are also amazing fireworks, fun carnivals in the gardens, and exciting river activities. These river events include watersports, special water floats, and the famous Birdman Rally. You can also enjoy lots of live music and bands.
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The Start of Moomba
In 1951, Australia celebrated 50 years since its different states joined together to form a country, called Federation. There was a parade and a play called "An Aboriginal Moomba: Out of the Dark."
A few years later, in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II visited Melbourne for the first time as queen. Because of this visit, the City Development Association and the Melbourne City Council suggested a new autumn festival. They decided to call it "Moomba."
A group was formed in July 1954 to plan and pay for the festival. They managed to get £10,000 to start the event. Before the first Moomba, there was some disagreement. A local politician, Frank Williams, quit the committee. He thought the festival was just a "joke" to help shopkeepers. A special song called "Come to Melbourne for the Moomba" was even written to promote the event.
Moomba Through the Years
The very first Moomba festival lasted for 15 days. It officially opened on March 12, 1955. Sir Dallas Brooks, who was the Governor of Victoria, opened the festival.
The first Moomba had many exciting things to see and do. There were fireworks, a big parade, and a display of old cars. People could watch a rowing race and see special floats on the river. There was also a cycling race, tennis games, and concerts with orchestras. A Queen of Moomba was crowned, and a fun carnival was set up by the river. About 25,000 people came to watch the first Moomba parade go down Swanston Street.
Festival Events
Parade and Floats
A parade with colorful floats has been a main part of the Moomba festival since it began. This parade goes through the streets of Melbourne. Each year, over 100,000 people come to the city center to watch it. You can also watch it on TV in Melbourne.
The first Moomba parade happened in 1955. It was first shown on television in 1957. This was the year after Melbourne hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics.
The floats in the parade have a different theme each year. This theme usually relates to Moomba's main idea: "Let's get together and have fun." Many floats come from Melbourne's sister cities, schools, and community groups. They often show off different arts like singing, dancing, or design. Swanston Street is the usual place for the parade. The floats, pulled by horses or tractors, use the tram tracks. Sometimes, decorated trams are also part of the parade.
Fireworks Displays
Fireworks are a huge part of the Moomba festival. Large and beautiful displays happen every night of the festival. These fireworks light up the sky above the Yarra River.
Carnival Fun
A traditional carnival is set up in the Alexandra Gardens, right along the river bank. This carnival often includes a big ferris wheel. In recent years, the carnival has also spread to Birrarung Marr, which is across the river. It's a very popular spot for children. You can find stands selling tasty treats like dagwood dogs and doughnuts along the paths.
River Activities
Moomba especially celebrates the Yarra River. This river has become much more appreciated in recent decades.
Water Skiing Competitions
Water skiing was added to Moomba in 1959. The water skiing tournament has both Junior (younger) and Open (all ages) groups. The winners are crowned as the Moomba Masters Champions on Moomba Monday.
River Floats and Boats
The festival has also featured special boats like Chinese dragon boats and the Moomba Showboat.
Birdman Rally
One of the most popular events is the Birdman Rally. It started in 1976. This event is usually held at the Swan Street bridge over the Yarra River. However, it has not happened every year. For a while, it stopped because of water quality issues in the Yarra. After the river was cleaned up, the rally returned in 2004. In 2005, the rally was held in the new inner-city park, Birrarung Marr, which is close to its usual spot.
Music and Live Bands
Many famous musicians have performed at Moomba. These include international acts like ABBA, Neil Diamond, and AC/DC. Lots of smaller local bands also play.
In 2012, performers included Tex Perkins and Daryl Braithwaite.
Images for kids
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2014 Moomba monarchs -- Lucy Durack and Bert Newton
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