Pako Festa

From Peceli

Tomorrow is Pako Festa Day the Geelong’s annual ethnic festival celebration and as usual one of the dance groups is from the Fijian community, this time from the Pascoe Vale Rd Fijian congregation.

For more than twenty years our Fijian migrant community has participated in Pako, often with a stall, craft display, and dance. This year there will be other Pacific Island dance groups such as the Cook Islanders and Maori group and a Tongan group from Canterbury. Channel Seven is one of the sponsors, and also Jetstar. About 100,000 people usually attend this free festival, watch the dances, join in workshops, eat delicacies from forty different ethnic groups.

The Geelong Ethnic Communities Council is now called Diversitat. Pako this year will be opened by the Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks who is of Lebanese background. He said, 'This year's theme - through the Art of Language promises to transcend language barriers through music, dance, food, costumes and art.'