International Cultures Day Has Asian Flavour

Performers from Hastings’ Chinese sister city Guilin will be the highlight of the Asian themed International Cultures Day 2011.

The annual International Cultures Day is being held from 11am to 3.30pm Saturday, March 5 in Cornwall Park on Tomoana Road.

This year marks the 30-year celebration of the Hastings-Guilin Sister City relationship. The Guilin Performers will be joined by an Indonesian group from Wellington, Pacific Island cultures, members of the Indian and Filipino communities and many more.

Hawke’s Bay Branch of New Zealand China Friendship Society president Sally Russell, who is organizing the event, says the festival is going back to its roots in recognition of all the work done to build the Sister City Relationship over the past 30 years.

“The event has changed a lot since it was launched in 1999 by former mayor, Jeremy Dwyer, and the Society as the Asian Festival. Since 2003, when it became an annual event, the ethnic communities represented have got wider and wider and add to the colour and vibrancy of the event,” Ms Russell says.

“This year will have the original Asian focus with Chinese, Indian, Philippine, Thai and Bangladesh performers delighting the crowd, along with strong performances from Pacific communities, Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga,” she says.

Food is a huge part of the annual festival and is available for purchase from many of the cultural groups there on the day.

“Food has always been a highlight with many communities cooking their specialties for Hawke’s Bay people to enjoy. It’s expected a wide range of delicacies, from Chinese cha su bao and Bangladeshi curries to rich German torte and Indonesian kebabs, will be on offer,” she says.

For further information or to get involved contact Sally Russell a call on 877 6027.