Why the National Multicultural Festival is a celebration of more than just food
Updated
You can smell the National Multicultural Festival before you can see or hear it.
Aromas of spices, grilled meat and sweet delights hang heavy in the air, enticing passers-by in for a taste.
But the three-day Canberra event is more than just an opportunity to sample the mouth-watering cuisines of other countries.
Since 1996 it has brought together a vast array of Canberrans — and visitors from out of town — in a celebration of Australia's diversity.
The Brisas del Peru dance group have travelled from Sydney to perform at this year's festival.
A team of primary school-aged dancers in pink and white sparkling garb wait backstage, burning off nervous energy by jumping up and down and running around.
Another group of performers in their teens and early 20s — dressed in elaborate, beaded costumes and feathered headdresses — wait near the side of the stage, ready to perform.
Tristan Balarezo explains their dance celebrates the roots of the Incas in South America.
"The selva is a celebration dance — it's from the Andes. The mountains of Peru," he said.
For Nabeela Rais and her friends, the festival is an opportunity to talk to Canberrans about her religion.
"We are here just to clear the misconceptions regarding Islam. Because nowadays, you see a lot of propaganda is going on," she said.
"We want to let them know that Islam is a religion of peace. We are people who promote peace, we condemn all the killings … we are here with the community and we need their support.
"I think it's a good opportunity for us, and for all the community to come out, and reach out to the people."
In another corner of the festival, audience members move along in time with a Tai Chi display on stage. Later, women in traditional Chinese dress dance with parasols.
Nearby, Xiaohui Zhang, a language teacher from the Australian School of Contemporary Chinese, is waiting to see her students perform on stage.
"We're very happy. We're dancing later," she smiles.
Ms Zhang is a festival veteran — she's attended every year for a decade.
"I think the best thing is that different countries, different people, all happily get together," she said.
Wandering among the busy crowd, Isabella Vittorino is here with her niece, Ana, who is wearing a ruffled red and white dress.
Her reply when asked why she is wearing such a special dress?
"Because I'm Colombian," she giggles.
Lucy Sugarman and Julian Viali are here on a belated Valentine's Day date.
Ms Sugarman has already visited this year's festival twice — on Friday night and again on Saturday.
The couple are pretty excited about the pad thai they have just bought, but stop to explain why they keep coming back.
"I think it's really awesome to see everyone come together … and not really care what they look like, what race, what they believe in and things like that," Ms Sugarman said.
"I love seeing so many people out to celebrate the world."
Topics: multiculturalism, community-and-society, canberra-2600, act, australia
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