National Multicultural Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Multicultural Festival |
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| Date(s) | February |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Canberra, Australia |
| Inaugurated | 1981 |
| Attendance | 260,000 (2013 estimated) |
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The National Multicultural Festival is a super fun and free community festival held every February in Canberra, Australia. It's a huge celebration of all the different cultures that make up Australia!
It first started in 1981 as a small, one-day celebration of different cultures. The ACT Ethnic Communities Council organized it on Australia Day.
In 1996, the festival officially became the National Multicultural Festival. It grew to show off the many cultures in Canberra, with people from over 170 different countries! Today, it's one of the most successful multicultural festivals in Australia, lasting three days each February.
The ACT Government helps support the festival. It's managed by the Community Participation Group, Multicultural Affairs, which is part of the ACT Government.
Contents
Festival Fun: A Look Back
In 1981, the ACT Ethnic Communities Council held the very first festival. It was a one-day event in Civic to celebrate Australia Day and cultural diversity. By 1988, the festival had grown a lot! It had about 40 international food stalls, lots of music, and dancing. That year, it was held in Civic and even had a parade led by amazing Chinese lion dancers.
Growing Bigger and Better
In 1997, the ACT Office of Multicultural Affairs started the first week-long festival. This was a great way to celebrate Canberra and Australia's cultural diversity. In 2010, the festival became a three-day event, which it still is today.
The festival keeps growing! In 2012, it had a record 350 stalls. Imagine all the different foods, crafts, and performances you could find!
In 2013, the National Multicultural Festival was voted "Favourite Attraction and Event" in the Out In Canberra People's Choice Awards. That shows how much people love it!
The weather at the festival is usually hot and sunny. In 2014, organizers even handed out 18,000 bottles of water to everyone enjoying the event!
The festival has become one of Australia's most successful multicultural events. In 2014, it brought about $5 million into the local economy. It also encouraged 10,000 more people to stay overnight in Canberra, coming from other parts of Australia and even other countries.
Festival Pauses: COVID-19 Impact
In November 2020, the festival planned for 2021 was postponed. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Then, in early 2021, the festival for that year was completely cancelled.
The next festival was planned for February 18–20, 2022, which would have been its 25th anniversary! However, the team planning the festival had to help with Canberra's COVID-19 response. So, in November 2021, the 2022 festival was also cancelled. It was then planned to happen in February 2023 instead.
Fringe Festival Fun
Between 2004 and 2009, there was a special "Fringe Festival" that was part of the Multicultural Festival. It was a free event with different kinds of performances.
In 2009, the Multicultural Festival became a three-day event. The Fringe Festival then moved to become part of the National Folk Festival.
The 2013 National Multicultural Festival was the first time a Fringe Festival happened alongside it again since 2009. This Fringe Festival only lasted one night.
The Fringe Festival continued in 2014. It featured various performances for people to enjoy.
