The Hunter River at Maitland will be awash with hundreds of beautiful lanterns on Saturday for this year’s Riverlights Multicultural Festival.
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The main event will take place just after 8pm, but there is plenty to do before sunset.
The event celebrates diversity through music, food, language and dance with more than 20 cultures represented in the heart of the city.
Mamadou Ba will be at the festival to represent the Mauritania community.
Mr Ba’s parents are from Mauritania, in West Africa, but he was born in neighbouring Senegal after his family fled their homeland.
He came to Australia with his family in 2007 and has been involved with the festival for three years.
“I enjoy being involved with other cultures and communities,” Mr Ba said.
“I think it is important to share our culture with people and help them understand its value so we can live together better.”
Festivalgoers will be able to wander through the cultural villages and enjoy world music, cooking demonstrations, markets, camel rides and food stalls.
There will also be an opportunity to make lanterns to be launched as part of the iconic paper lantern flotilla.
This year’s Riverlights festival will also feature special citizenship ceremony conducted by the mayor Cr Peter Blackmore.
Maitland Riverlights is a free, family-friendly event and will take place in The Levee shared zone on Saturday from 4pm to 9pm.
To see this year’s festival program visit maitlandriverlights.com.au/whats-on/cultural-passport.
Sounds of Africa
African beats will take over Maitland for the Riverlights Multicultural Festival this Saturday.
Berias Masseque and the Afro Fusion Band will lead a talented line-up of artists to be showcased as part of the event.
Born in Mozambique, Berias Masseque moved to Australia in 2008 to study music.
Now his style embraces other cultures, combining his African heritage with various musical influences, including jazz, Latin and contemporary.
“Sharing my culture through music gives me a sense of worth, belonging and the joy of giving part of me to the nation that I now call home,” Mr Masseque said.
“Everyone has something to share and a story to tell, and I believe when we celebrate our differences, we replace fear with friendship.”
The group led by Masseque will put on an energetic live show that gets audiences on their feet.
The Riverlights festival will host two stages with music and dance performances throughout the evening.