Campbelltown has undergone a multicultural transformation over the past 20 years.
Communities ranging from the Philippines, Pacific Islands, India and the Middle East have experienced massive growth in numbers during that time.
Groups such as Macarthur Greeks have been established in recent years, reflecting the growing multicultural nature of both Campbelltown and the Macarthur region.
This transformation is reflected in the annual Festival of Fisher’s Ghost parade, with more and more multicultural groups taking part every year.
Which all means the time is right for the inaugural Macarthur Multicultural Children’s Festival.
It will be held on Sunday, August 5 in Koshigaya Park and everyone’s invited, says the man behind the festival, Brian Laul.
“The Macarthur Multicultural Children’s Festival is a great way to bring the community together and to highlight the importance of cultural diversity,’’ says Mr Laul, who leads a festival committee that includes well known locals such as Cr Warren Morrison, business chamber president Glenn Creecy and wildlife advocate Ricardo Lonza.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The festival is an opportunity to learn about different cultures by enjoying traditional performances, sampling different food and understanding more about a friend’s culture by getting involved in the many activities,” he said.[/social_quote]
Macarthur Multicultural Children’s Festival will be based on the Children’s Festival, which was founded by a Vietnamese refugee, Thuat Nguyen, who had the vision that “children who played together lived together in harmony”.
Now in its 20th year, the Children’s Festival has been recognised as the premier event in Sydney City’s annual Living in Harmony calendar and one of the most popular annual events in the Bankstown region.
Brian Laul says Macarthur Multicultural Children’s Festival will be a chance for locals to literally discover and taste the world in their own backyard.
“It’s a unique family event that will inspire members of our community to embrace our shared values and cultural traditions at a grassroots level,” Mr Laul said.
There will be a stack of hands-on activities and non-stop entertainment at the inaugural Macarthur Multicultural Children’s Festival, from 10.30am to 4.30pm in Koshigaya Park on Sunday, August 5.
Children keen to get creative will be able to make crowns from native flowers, and design their own kites to fly.
In keeping with the multicultural theme, they will also be able to get their names written in different languages, contribute to the AmnesTree, pass the ball with the West Tigers and even get a selfie with Kranky Koala.
Indeed there will be lots of photo opportunities – in front of a colourful South East Asian Royal façade, a stunning Mermaid tank with Tempest and her merfriends or with roaming cosplay characters like Batman.
Children can also participate in a Cultural Scavenger Hunt by visiting stalls to discover colours, tastes and sounds of the world, collecting stamps along the way and winning prizes.
Children’s performing groups or local community groups wishing to participate in the Festival can visit Macarthur Multicultural Children’s Festival on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/macarthurmulticulturalchildrensfestival/
SNAPSHOT:
WHAT Macarthur Multicultural Children’s Festival
WHERE Koshigaya Park Campbelltown
WHEN 10.30am to 4.30pm, Sunday, August 5.
Looking to the event
Thanks for the support Eric