Tauranga Multicultural Festival: About 5000 people attend as migrant communities showcase cultures

The Tauranga Filipino Society at the multicultural festival. Photo / Francis Conde

An estimated 5000 people attended Tauranga’s multicultural festival on Saturday as migrant communities from all over the world showcased their cultures through performances and food.

The festival took place at the Historic Village and gave migrants the opportunity to “wave their flags with pride”.

Multicultural Tauranga president Premila D’Mello said the festival was “wonderful” and it was “great to see the community come together”.

People from Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Samoa, Tonga, Colombia, Bolivia, Italy, Ukraine and Russia attended, she said.

“The best thing was we also had Ukraine represented, and both Ukraine and Sri Lanka... are both going through a tough time. So it was very meaningful to have them there.”

She said there was a “huge” variety of food, including Nepalese, Sri Lankan and Polish.

“The atmosphere was almost buzzing - every performance was outstanding.”

All performers were volunteers who came together for the purpose of the festival, she said.

“There’s a lot of pride in what they present.”

D’Mello said the festival was about bringing communities together and for them to showcase their culture to local people. It also gave locals the chance to gain an understanding of different cultures.

Of the migrants, she said: “It brings me joy to my heart to see them wave their flags with pride while being in New Zealand.”

D’Mello said it was an “honour” that many “VIPs” attended, including Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Fungai Mhlanga from the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, Tauranga City Council commissioner Shadrach Rolleston, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council mayor James Denyer and Bay of Plenty Labour list MP Angie Warren-Clark.

This meant “a lot” for the migrant communities, D’Mello said.

The Tauranga Filipino Society at the multicultural festival. Photo / Francis Conde

Tauranga Filipino Society secretary Francis Conde said it had a “discovery tent” which showcased the Filipino culture and traditions.

There were Filipino games such as the sipa and the tumbang preso, and a photo booth, where people could take photos with a Kalabaw - a national animal of the Philippines - in the background.

A “Lola Bashiang” [grandmother] also did storytelling for the children, he said.

Sri Lankan Association committee member Dushi De Silva said it had performers at the festival which was an “amazing opportunity”.

“We [saw] lots of other cultures and it’s such a wonderful event.”

The Tauranga Multicultural festival was among several other events at the Historic Village on the weekend.

On Friday, the Incubator Creative Hub opened its Hawke’s Bay arts community fundraiser exhibition. The exhibition was made up of art donated by the community. All funds raised would be donated to the grassroots arts groups in Hawke’s Bay that were impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle flooding.

There were also three gigs at The Jam Factory and Hardcase Hotel - a murder mystery with a twist of comedy - at the Detour Theatre.