The sky above MacCabe Park might have been grey but there was plenty of colour at Viva La Gong on Saturday.
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From a large-scale Twister board painted on the grass to elaborate traditional costumes, there was plenty to brighten what was a gloomy November day.
It didn’t matter which direction you looked, Wollongong’s cultural life and creative identity was on show for all to see.
For festivalgoers like Harley Kelly and Leisha Dyer, the gathering of people from so many nationalities provided a realisation of how vast Wollongong’s multicultural ties are.
The Unanderra couple’s two-year-old son, Lachlan Kelly, was mesmerised by the sights and sounds of the festival, which they say “caters for everybody”.
“Everyone comes together, it’s a good atmosphere and a good place to be,” Mr Kelly said.
It was Bron Williams’ second festival – ease of access and the event’s green, recycle-focussed, nature meant it ticked all the boxes for the Horsley woman.
“It’s family-friendly [and I like] the cultural diversity aspect of it as well,” she said.
Just a couple of hours into the event, a steady stream of people made their way around the park.
International food stalls lined the footpath, live music and performances kept everyone entertained.
Many festivalgoers even had the chance to get crafty in the dedicated creative zone.
Some of the creativity had to be seen to be believed, like the section of grass at the park’s southern end that was transformed into a maze of cardboard.
There was masking tape aplenty at Cubby House – a participatory film installation that allowed children to build a cubby and add it to an ever-expanding cardboard village.
From the outside it looked like a cardboard jungle, but inside kids were able to crawl their way through tunnels of light and video projection.
The project was run on by Melbourne’s Polyglot Theatre and Beyond Empathy, a group that uses the arts to influence change and enrich the lives of communities experiencing hardship.
Elsewhere, light rain prior to the festival meant conditions at the ‘Mud Fun’ stall were perfect for getting your hands dirty.
The annual event began at 11am with a record number of participants in the traditional street parade, which snaked its way from the arts precinct, through the Crown Street Mall and into MacCabe Park.