For the first time this year, LaeFest 2023 was hosted on its own at the Lae Botanical Gardens.
Despite the rainy season, residents turned up at the Botanical Gardens to take part in the cultural festivities commemorating PNG’s 48th Independence anniversary, hosted on Friday, September 15th, and Saturday, September 16th.
Facilitated by the Lae Tourism Bureau, executive officer, Maine Winny, said despite the downpour, LaeFest was a great success.
“We chose the Lae Botanical Gardens to host this trial run because we believe that it will be our future tourism hub,” Winny stated.
“We are hosting our culture in this ancient rainforest; the atmosphere is just right for this event.
“There was no issue here. We have about 100 police officers deployed here, in partnership with the Lae City Authority.”
Ten music and singsing groups took part in the event, which had over 50 registered food and arts and crafts stalls.
“The main idea is, it’s a family event, just like the Rosso Cup Mountain Bike Race.”
A traditional fireplace was also part of the setup, where locals from Gabensis, in Huon Gulf district, demonstrated their traditional cooking practices using bamboos and leaves.
Winny outlined that LaeFest aligned itself with the Lae MP’s vision of a ‘better Lae’, hence the event was community-oriented and ran smoothly with the assistance of volunteers.
In the past, the event was run in conjunction with the Rosso Cup. However, Winny said cultural performances deserve their own space, hence the trial run this Independence.