Kuching Festival 2011

This event is an annual event where us Kuchingnites celebrate the day Kuching was recognized/awarded the City status!

No, the mascot is not these buns

A Brief Introduction of Kuching Festival.

For a couple of years prior to the formation of Malaysia, the town of Kuching hosted an annual carnival known as the Sarawak Festival. During the occasion, there were colourful lantern processions with giant butterflies, school badges, grasshoppers and dragons of traditional Chinese designs. These were accompanied by a parade of colourfully-decorated and brightly-lit floats as well as inter-secondary school drama competitions making this a truly art-orientated event. Sadly, the period of emergency which followed, saw the death of the Sarawak Festival and killed off any enthusiasm to reenact the event after Sarawak joined Malaysia in 1963.

The idea of the Kuching Festival was first suggested in November, 1985 with the intention of reviving a similar festival, which was originally organized a couple years, prior to the formation of Malaysia, but which had subsequently been abandoned. The earlier festival was called “The Sarawak Festival” and aimed at promoting the development of arts. The Kuching Festival materialised the following year, and has been held annually eversince.

In 1986 a PATA (Pacific Area Tourism Association) Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur. The event marked as it were, the awakening of the nation’s consciousness towards developing its tourism industry. The first Kuching Festival was initiated in April that year, by the Kuching Municipal Council, as an effort in response to the nation’s call to organize activities to highlight the nation’s tourist attractions for the delegates to the PATA Conference.

Over the years, we have seen the festival grow from a medium scale event to the month-long carnival it is today. The highlight has always been, and still is, the Kuching Festival Parade with unique participation from the city’s mascot, the cat!

Taking on the artistically-inclined theme of the past, the Kuching Festival, in its 14th anniversary, aims to promote culture and the arts (making Kuching the Arts capital of Sarawak). Events throughout the month emphasize this, as members of the public and visitors to Kuching get the opportunity to enjoy dramatic performances, musical concerts, galleries, exhibitions and so forth. With this, comes the festival of food, something no event of this calibre can do without! This aspect of the Kuching Festival plans to boost the local food and tourism industry.

Undoubtedly, all these activities, if properly organised and promoted, will lead to Kuching becoming an attractive holiday destination. source

Tons of Taiwanese sausages sold here

 This year, I feel like the Kuching Festival no longer has all the Sarawakian Food but instead got a lot of imported food, mostly Taiwan, western and other Asian food. I missed all the uniquely Sarawakian Food. TwT

Some sort of waffle hotdog? 

Sesame roll - Do you feel like rolling over now?

Sweet frosted fruit!

Warning - Non-Halal! Roasted pork!

Jayson =P

Fried I-don't-know-what

I like the booth deco

Cupcakes!

Pastries!

Brustwurst

Stingy and proud stall

I heard many people like this stall this year and it's a hit! They are selling Fried Durian. It's more like durian with some flour and fried it. I wanted to take a photo of the person frying it and was warned that Police will catch me if I take photographs. =___=""" They even said: 'It's not allowed to take photos'. I wanted to ask:' You think a photograph can analyse the ingredients and can produce a exact recipe and I can steal your business? ' *Free advertising also they don't want, aww well. *

Tons of people lining up

Say Hello to Chu Ling - Thanks to her I can cut line and get some =P *Kidding, she help me to buy*

Not attractive right? 

You'll probably see this sign more often that the queue
(P/S: The lady that said Police will catch photographers on the left)

Drinks! Movable stall

Huge burger!

Trolley drinks stall

 Next area is the Garden Show! Where they showcase landscape and garden decorations.

Wishing well - Throw a coin and make a wish!

Rice rolls

Lanterns! 

Next I visited the exhibition booths right at the other end of the Food fair. I have yet to visit the air-conditioned  hall. 

Air brush tattoo!

Click on the song and play while you scroll down. =P

  

oops. Wrong coloured pigs

Right at the end there's a mini amusement park with a Pirate ship, Merry-Go-Round, mini train and mini aeroplane.

That's all folks! Want to know more? Come over to the Kuching Festival to experience it yourself! =)