13 February 2006

Canberra Food and Dance Spectacular 2006 in pictures.

| johnboy
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So, Saturday was the “Food and Dance Spectacular” component of the multicultural festival. Here at RiotACT we tend to look forward to it as “Foreign Food and Beer Day”. Meat on a stick and people in funny clothes are also regarded as essential components on this holy of holies.

Colour at the multicultural festival

When the boys and the girls parted ways for a moment and thoughtfully bought each other beer things got a bit messy.

Too much beer at the multicultural festival

The crowd was large, happy, and getting stuck in.

throng at the multicultural festival.

Anyone is free to join the SBS band, only they meet in Conder, os some other ridiculous location beyond the ends of the earth.

SBS band at the multicultural festival

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Crass commercialisation in the form of carny rides has begun to infiltrate the festival.

rides at the multicultural festival carnytown at the multicultural festival

However people did seem very happy with the giant sharks the Carnies were giving away from time to time.

sharks at the multicultural festival

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Men in skirts are always a hit.

Drummer at the multicultural festival.

You know things are getting really multicultural when the men in skirts start squeezing hairy octopii

Pipers at the multicultural festival.

Starspotters were thrilled to see Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous.

Patsy at the multicultural festival

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The Croatians had made a judgment as to what the crowd wanted…

Croatian stand at multicultural festival

It wouldn’t be foreign food and beer day without seeing people dance in funny dresses.

dancers at the multicultural festival

The Japanese were selling their green tea icecream faster than they could make it.

Green tea ice cream

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The police were out spreading good vibes and there were signs of Constable Kenny.

Constable Kenny Koala

More colour

more colour at the multicultural festival

It wasn’t all big beer bottles and meat on sticks, no wait, meat on sticks would seem to be universal.

Dagwood dogs at the multicultural festival

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The bellydancers added a smidge of excitement.

bellydancers at the multicultural festival

If people can wear strange clothes then why can’t dogs wear shoes?

Dog in shoes at the multicultural festival

You can lead a horse to water but he’ll still want to drink Starbucks Coffee.

Starbucks at the multicultural festival.

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Damn! Now I have to try and remember her name…

Mael – she does look familiar.

Finding a park was a bitch

from my recollections of hungary, its meat, meat and more meat. in fact iirc vegetarians are banned and persecuted.

the deep fried bread doesnt surprise me – ii also rc the hungarians have europes highest rate of heart disease.

then again, my heart had a few spasms when i went from hungary to vienna and saw prices on anything quadruple.

I missed it this year *frown*, but it sounds like it went better than last year (which was great, but a washout).

Makes me itchy for a shimmy though!

I remember the rides in the Civic carpark that’s now a hole (but then which ones aren’t?). I’m pretty sure they were based there around the time of the Canberra Show — possibly filling in time between the show and the festivites surrounding Canberra Day.

And on the filipinos, JB and che, twas a filipino stall I got the watermelon and coconut milk drink from. I think.

The ‘puff’ pun was intended btw…

I think from memory it had a brief 2 week stint at popularity in the late 80’s or early 90’s (I was quite drunk during it’s climb and subsequent dropping from common vernacular), and it’s place in the grave of crap sayings it should remain.

Word.

Did anyone try the Hungarian deep friend bread with sour cream and garlic? Quite the tasty and unusual snack treat.

(But in no way “puff” Mael – my God that campaign shits me.)

I didn’t see the McLeods daughters dancers but I’m sure the wogboy comedy stylings of John whatsisface came a close second. (Dressed up like an Italian mum, no less)

Yes there was a Sari Sari stall but it wasn’t sponsored by any of the 3-4 Filipino groups in town. the stall was there to raise funds for a charity.

And they were selling San Miguel, how could I forget.

We went to the Phillipino stand JB, I’m pretty sure it was called the Sari Sari stand or something, they had Phillipino flags up etc

I’m pretty sure i saw phillipinos too

LG, did you ever meet the last bellydancer on the right in your previous life ?

I’m sure she used to be one of us…

I think the point may have been that Chinese, Vietnames and Filipino cultures extends somewhat significantly beyond a stall selling beef in black bean sauce and combined fried rice.

BTW, for the BEST ever vietnamese spring rolls, go to the vietnamese restraunt in Page, they put on a great feed but the spring rolls are ‘puff’.

Not sure why big groups such as the Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipino communities are not represented.

I counted at least three Vietnamese stall, a large chinese, a smaller chinese and and a taiwanese stall, I didn’t see any Filipino stall though.

Damn! I missed it.

Although after last years marathon effort – an attempt to sample a beer and a grilled sausage in a bun from every country that claims grilled sausages in bun and beer as its national dish, its probably for the better.

Personally I would recommend it as a lunch activity.

Hmm looks like during the day is much less crowded than the evening. I met a bunch of mates at Wig & Pen at 6pm and sauntered in from there, food was excellent as usual but the crowd factor was a pain in the bum.

It was a good day….it’s one of the better festivals the city puts on. Big well behaved crowd. Sadly more and more of the stalls are commercial and not community based.

Not sure why big groups such as the Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipino communities are not represented.

Went into the city on Sunday and all the fun had been switched to mainly leftie community groups stalls…big yawn. Hardly any food outlets – although the Greeks know how to party 🙂

Not sure if anyone else went to the CATs awards on Saturday…it was a very professional and uplifting night. So much talent especially with the youth. Well done CATS!

the foreign food festival was quite fun.

it was marred only by an australian dance inspired by (i shit you not) ‘macleaods daughters’. akubras, flanny shirts.

a wave of cultural cringe surged tsunami like through the crowd.

of course uncle bonfires 4 yr old niece thought it was great, but she also likes the wiggles.

the announcer amazed us all by saying the macleods daughters dancers had won some competition and had represented australia in poland.

i always thought some sharpies in too small cardies and rat tails had a unique australian dance. happy to send them to poland.

I vaguely remember Carny rides always used to infiltrate the Civic carpark (when it was still a complete entity) every year, back in the late nineties – around Feburary or March (possibly during the Canberra day long weekend, possibly not). I don’t know whether they’ve been associated with the Mutlicultural festival previously, or not, though. But hey, you’re in civic, where people shop. Commercialism is there to begin with.

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