The National Wool Museum has launched its latest exhibition, a celebration of Geelong’s most colourful festival.
Cultural Bridges: Celebrating Four Decades of Pako Festa opened this week, displaying the objects and stories of Geelong’s diverse multicultural communities including traditional decorative dress, crafted heritage items and archival material connected to the festival.
Pako Festa, the annual event that takes over Pakington Street in Geelong West every summer, has been delighting crowds for over forty years, strengthening connection through food, music, dance and fun.
The exhibition opening coincides with 40 Years Young, an online history project providing an interactive timeline of Pako Festa, and the festival itself, which is on this Saturday, February 24.
Museum senior curator Josephine Rout said the exhibition was a fitting acknowledgement of Pako Festa’s contribution to the cultural fabric of Geelong.
“The cultural bridges built by Pako Festa are part of why Geelong is one of Australia’s fastest growing regional cities, attracting people with shared values to this vibrant and
dynamic community,” Ms Rout said.
“Cultural Bridges: Celebrating Four Decades of Pako Festa is a tribute to the people who have made Pako Festa the success it is today – one of Australia’s largest multicultural festivals that has been held here in Geelong, on Wadawurrung Country, for over four decades.”
National Wool Museum director Padraic Fisher said the exhibition was part of his organisation’s vision to be a museum “of and for Geelong”.
“It is an important opportunity for many voices in our community to be heard and cultures seen, joyfully coming together peacefully in one museum,” Mr Fisher said.
Cultural Bridges: Celebrating Four Decades of Pako Festa is open daily until July 14. Visit nwm.vic.gov.au for more information.
