Festival to run over three days

The Ettalong Beach Festival will this year run over three days from March 16-18.

Already a number of community engagement workshops are being held, according to organiser Ms Ylenna Zajec.

Local community artist Ms Nina Angelo began a screen printing festival flags workshop on Friday, December 9, with Ettalong Primary School children, Ettalong Arts and Crafts Centre, Mingaletta and the senior citizens centre in Ettalong.

ThIs year's festival will feature the inaugural Ettalong Beach Ball which will be held at the senior citizens' centre on Friday, March 16, and will be used to raise funds for the festival.

A Big Sing workshop will also be held on Saturday, March 17, from 10:30am until 3:30pm also at the senior citizens' centre.

The workshop will be led by ARIA award winning singer-songwriter and choral conductor Kavisha Mazzella.

She will also perform a solo and then sing with the choir on Sunday, March 18l.

A Festival Film Night will be held at Cinema Paradiso from 7pm on Saturday, March 17.

The night will explore the theme of Then and Now through stories from local seniors to the youth and a mix of interviews spliced with historical film footage and photos of Ettalong.

An indigenous smoke ceremony will be performed by Gabby Duncan and the Ganang Spirit Dancers, on Sunday, March 18, as well as will performances by the Dusha Balkana dance troupe and reggae band King Tide.

The festival was started by the Ettalong Beach Business Group Inc to counteract the retail slump that occurred in the autumn period of the year as well as foster community pride in the town, said Ms Zajec.

Media Release, 6 Jan 2011 Ylenna Zajec, Ettalong Beach Festival