Ash Bolt
More than 6000 people came together at the Northern Community Hub in Norlane to celebrate Greater Geelong’s cultural diversity at Pako Festa.
The 40th edition of the event saw a change in location, swapping the traditional Pakington Street festival for a more enclosed location due to the pandemic, and organiser Luisa La Fornara said it was “wonderful celebration of diversity”.
“The atmosphere was incredible and was everything we had hoped it would be – a wonderful celebration of diversity,” she said.
“It was a magical day – we had over 20 community groups on stage sharing their culture and 17 diverse food stalls.
“It couldn’t have gone better.”
Ms La Fornara said the plan was to return to Pakington Street for the next festival in 2023, but the enforced change in venue had worked well.
“We had just over 6000 people come in and the response was really great,” she said.
“We got a lot of feedback that it felt like a very safe and welcoming space, which is exactly what we wanted.
“Of course we missed the massive street parade, but having the stage this year meant we were able to learn a lot more about the cultures involved than we normally would, which was great.”
