Darwin’s Thailand Grand Festival gallery: Fruit carving, dancing takes over Civic Park
Pawpaw salads, songkran, chilli eating, and rumwong took over Darwin’s Civic Park on Saturday, as the NT Thai Association held its seventh annual Thailand Grand Festival. Did we snap someone you know?
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Updated: Pawpaw salads, songkran (water play), chilli eating competitions and rumwong (traditional dancing) took over Darwin’s Civic Park on Saturday, as the NT Thai Association held its seventh annual Thailand Grand Festival.
One of the most popular cultural stalls throughout the day was the fruit carving exhibit hosted by Whan Busara and Pat Ratanakorn.
Ms Busara said fruit carving was initially done as a tribute to the Thai king, but then expanded to other domains.
She said it is now a common practice to carve fruit to beautify your house in advance of hosting guests you would like to honour.
Ms Busara has been a fixture at the Thailand Grand Festival ever since its inaugural edition in 2016, showing off her intricate creations.
Her friend and colleague Ms Ratanakorn said Darwin was so popular with Thai émigrés because it reminded them of home.
“The weather is similar to Thailand,” she said.
“And we can get everything we want at the markets in terms of fruit and vegetables.”
Farida Nekrasov and daughter Jahanara, who was wearing the traditional pha sin silk skirt and sabai breast cloth, were enjoying the festivities in advance of their dance performance later in the day.
Husband Alex said he was proud of his wife and daughter and noted there was an “active and growing” Thai community in the Top End.
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The Thailand Grand Festival returns this Saturday at Civic Park for its eighth year running, and NT Thai Association president Tou Saramat Ruchkaew said visitors could expect to experience a different side of the country.
“Thailand is not just about the beaches or the bars – it’s about the culture, the tradition, the excitement,” Mrs Ruchkaew told the NT News.
“It’s a chance for us to bring out our culture, and show our new friends and family in Australia our roots and where we are from.”
The attractions kick off at 11am with the coals firing for authentic Thai street food, including the country’s famous roti pancakes, for which a special giant pan was imported for the occasion.
Alongside all-day performances and exhibitions, there will be a Muay Thai exhibition tournament featuring Darwin’s Skyla Chatteron, who represented Australia in the sport’s world championships last year aged just 15.
Visitors can cool down by grabbing water pistols for a massive showdown, which pays homage to Thai water blessing festivals and “marks prosperity in the New Year” according to Mrs Ruchkaew.
The day will be capped off with a grand parade at 6pm, but the festivities will continue into the night including at the Thai Beer Garden on the lawns.
Mrs Ruchkaew, a mango farmer who arrived in Australia in 1992, said the festival was getting bigger with more than 9000 people attending last year.
“We are different, but we are also Australian, and we want to share our culture with everyone,” she said.
The Thailand Grand Festival runs from 11am to 10pm on Saturday, and visitors can access free public transport to and from the event by presenting a digital or physical flyer.
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Originally published as Darwin’s Thailand Grand Festival gallery: Fruit carving, dancing takes over Civic Park
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