PAKO PARTY
PAKO FESTA A SEA OF SMILES
THE region’s rich multicultural tapestry was celebrated in a cavalcade of song, dance and food during the annual Pako Festa at the weekend.
Languages and cultures spanning the globe were spoken as more than 40 ethnic communities paraded along Pakington St, Geelong West, on Saturday lined with an estimated 100,000 people.
Some set up deck chairs for the parade, now in its 38th year, to see cultural groups from Japan, Turkey, Spain, Nepal, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece and Pakistan — all with connections to Geelong.
During the hour-long parade the Scottish bagpipes rang, wrists of the Flamenco dancers flicked and the heals of the Ukrainians clicked.
Generations of migrants have seen the festival grow from 12,000 attendees in the early 90s.
Alana Obeliunas, 32, whose grandparents came to Australia from Lithuania during World War II, has participated in the parade since she was a child.
She spoke to the Addy while watching on with partner Dane and nine-month-old son Vyder.
Ms Obeliunas said it was important she passed the culture of her grandparents on to her son.
“The food here and the people; it is just such a great gathering of the community.”
With the rhythm of Africa flowing through their bodies, Nigerian Association of Geelong members paraded in song and dance.
Chuck Ejim, of Nigeria’s Igbo tribe, studied at Deakin University and speaks one of the country’s 500 dialects.
“We want to celebrate our
culture, diversity and identity with the Geelong community,” the former Newtown resident said.
The Macedonian Artistic and Cultural Group, which meets twice a week in Batesford, showcased traditional dresses made of wool.
Alex Klasevski, 20, at his 16th Pako Festa said the wool was needed due to the biting cold of his ancestral home. He said he hoped the event helped foster understanding as cultural differences were put aside.
Brian McMahon, the acting CEO of Diversitat, the organisation that puts on the event, said the community flocked to the parade to unite.
“There is a sea of goodwill here. It speaks volumes about how the Geelong community supports multiculturalism,” Mr McMahon said.
Andrew Cairns, who recently moved from Melbourne to Portarlington said the event showed the pride of those showcasing their culture.
“Australia is a collage of diverse cultures; it’s what makes us who we are. We should be doing more of it.”
At the end of the parade the Australian Slovenian Association was judged the most culturally aware.
Club Italia, whose performance included the rev of a Maserati, the zip of Vespas and the swirling of wine, was judged to have the best elements of culture.
The Geelong Sustainability Group, which put climate change on the minds of the crowd using a band playing tunes on pots, pans and buckets, was judged to have the best music.
St Patrick’s Geelong West was judged the best school in the parade. All received $500 to use for future culture-related pursuits.