A celebration of culture

I AM counting down the days until the return of my favourite annual community event – Pako Festa.

On Saturday 28 February, Pakington Street will transform into a bustling street party that is Victoria’s largest free celebration of cultural diversity.

I know I’m not the only one eagerly anticipating this event, with thousands upon thousands of people coming together every year to take part in the festivities.

The very first Pako Festa was held in 1983 and attracted 12,000 people.

The event has grown significantly over the years, and nowadays more than 100,000 descend on Pakington Street annually to take part in the celebrations.

This event showcases the melting pot that is our municipality, and it’s wonderful to see our entire community coming together to find the beauty in our rich and diverse cultural heritage.

We have an estimated 306,000 people living in Greater Geelong, and about 18 per cent of our population were born overseas.

We’re home to more than 100 different ethnic groups and a wide variety of faiths, beliefs and backgrounds.

Pako Festa shows just how deeply our community values the richness and diversity of the many different cultures that call Geelong home.

And it has even earned recognition beyond the borders of Greater Geelong.

In 2024, Pako Festa was awarded the state winner for best regional event at the Australian Event Awards, and the year before, it won the Premier’s Award for Community Harmony.

It’s marvellous to see this community celebration receiving the accolades it truly deserves.

As a former chef, one of my personal highlights of the event is the incredible array of cultural cuisine on offer.

This year’s program boasts over 91 food trucks and venues, with everything from bao buns to brisket on offer.

Last year, the heat proved too much to bear, and organisers were forced to shut down festivities early. I’m hoping clear skies will give us the chance to get into the spirit for the full program in 2026.

If you are in search of more community spirit in support of a good cause, Clean Up Australia Day is coming up on 1 March.

This year marks 35 years of cleaning up together and the initiative has grown into the nation’s largest community-based environmental event.

Here at home, a range of community groups and organisations are hosting clean up efforts.

If you’re keen to get your hands dirty, Friends of Waurn Ponds Creek will host a clean up on 1 March from 9am–12pm.

Join the team at East Belmont Saints Baseball Club car park and head down to the creek to join in a social morning making a positive impact.

In Belmont, the Geelong Field Naturalists Club are hosting an event at Jerringot Wetland from 9–10.30am to support the significant habitat for Latham Snipe and other waterbirds.

In Highton, the EcoBrains are hosting a roadside clean up on the corner of Barrabool Road and Scenic Road from 9am to 11am on Saturday 28 February.

Over the years, more than 23-million volunteers have put on their gloves and donated time to improve the environment on Clean Up Australia Day.

To see what clean up events are happening in your area, or to register your own event, visit register.cleanup.org.au