THE first of its kind to be held in Coffs Harbour, Saturday’s International Food and Dance Festival well and truly lived up to the hype.

With a theme of ‘A bright light in a worried world’, 240 locals and their children filled the Cavanbah Hall on Saturday 11 November to watch dancing and music performances and enjoy traditional food from around the world in a warm atmosphere of multicultural collaboration and connection.

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The International Food and Dance Festival was the dream and creation of Htun Htun Oo, a well-known citizen and businessperson in Coffs Harbour.

The event’s success is being put down to the dedicated work of a large and multicultural organising committee.

“But, more than anything else, the success of the festival was due to all the spectacular and talented multicultural performers whose dancing and singing delighted their audience,” Htun told News Of The Area.

“For everyone present at this wonderful occasion, while they were listening to and watching the joyous, multicultural dancing and singing, the International Food and Dance Festival truly created a bright light in a worried world.”

Htun intended this festival to demonstrate to Coffs Harbour, and to the world that “we all can and must live together peacefully, and that this can be done by helping, caring for and loving each other”.

Uncle Richard Widders provided the Welcome to Country before City of Coffs Harbour councillor Tony Judge opened the festival.

Mr Judge spoke about how Australia has benefited from migration and multiculturalism.

“Modern Australia was built on migration,” he said.

“People who leave their own country and their own culture to seek a better life in a new place make great citizens.

“They are courageous, ambitious and willing to take risks.

“They are the people who have built our country.

“We undoubtedly have a richer culture now, most obviously in the choice of food and the variety of cultural experiences available to us,” Mr Judge said.

“More importantly, the diversity in our culture has allowed us to see the world in a different, more realistic way.”

Deputy Mayor Sally Townley spoke of the great contribution that diverse communities have made to life on the Coffs Coast.

“One in seven people in Coffs Harbour was born overseas,” Ms Townley said.

“That diversity in culture makes our region a better place to live.”

Ms Townley praised the efforts of Htun Htun Oo in organising such a successful event, expressing her hope that similar events would be held in the future.

The delicious food, provided free, included dishes from Afghanistan, Indian, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as seafood pasta salads and Western foods.

With more than enough food supplied, the surplus was dispatched to those in need.

“I packed at least eighteen food boxes for local homeless people after the event which Pastor Joseph from Salvation Army Church delivered to homeless in Coffs Harbour,” said Htun.

Taking place on Remembrance Day, Tony Judge took the opportunity to explain the purpose of the day and instigated a minute of silence at 11:11am.

“That is the first time multicultural communities have held recognition together for Remembrance Day,” said Htun.

The multicultural organising committee would like to thank and acknowledge the work and contributions of participants, donors, volunteers and the people who filled the hall with their attendance.

By Andrea FERRARI