A bit of rain during the opening ceremony couldn’t dampen the spirit of the Melbourne Pasifika Festival on Saturday 6 December, with an estimated 4500 people streaming into the Banjo Paterson Park throughout the day.
Hosted by the Women’s Federation for World Peace, Australia (WFWP), since its launch in 2018, the Melbourne Pasifika Festival has grown into one of the region’s most vibrant cultural showcases.
WFWP Australia president Anne Bellavance said crowds “just kept pouring in with their umbrellas, chairs and everything they needed to have a good time.”
After the early downpour, the weather settled into a mix of cloudy moments and sunny patches, enough for the festival’s trademark energy to flourish.
Music rolled across the grounds and dances continued well into the evening, with performances finishing around 6.30pm.
This year’s program featured many dance and music groups, including those of Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Niue.
More than 35 stalls formed a bustling marketplace of island food, handmade goods and cultural merchandise. Māori artists also attended, showcasing artwork and traditional greenstone pieces.
Families enjoyed jumping castles, flying toys, a boomerang school and a rugby clinic, while community organisations such as Ready2Work, Key Assets and the Centre for Population Genomics connected with Pasifika families throughout the day.
