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Mareeba Multicultural Festival

Celebrating multiculturalism in the Mareeba Shire

10am – 4pm | Saturday, 31 August 2024 | Arnold Park, Mareeba

Mareeba Multicultural Festival

Since 1999

Thank you for supporting the 2023 Mareeba Multicultural Festival.

View images from the event by clicking on the below button.

Event album 2023

The Mareeba Multicultural Festival is coming to Mareeba on Saturday, 31 August 2024!

Join us for a celebration of the rich multiculturalism which defines the Mareeba Shire.

Celebrating multiculturalism since 1999 the Mareeba Multicultural Festival will feature non-stop entertainment and incredible food stalls. You are guaranteed a magnificent day in Mareeba’s Arnold Park.

Entry is free!

The Mareeba Shire is home to people from some 75 different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, and this festival celebrates this diversity, and harmony.

The free, one day Festival includes dance and music by hundreds of performers from different ethnic groups and fabulous food from more than 20 stalls, providing opportunities to experience many different cuisines.

Thousands of locals and visitors have enjoyed the magnificent Mareeba Multicultural Festival, since 1999 and we invite everyone to join the fun this year.

The festival is planned for a sunny, cool August day and attendees enjoy the near perfect August weather. The festival is supported by generous sponsors and donors who make the day-long raffle draws possible. Winners must be present at the time of the draw.

Whether it’s your first festival, or fifteenth, come along and join the celebration!

Celebrate

The Mareeba Multicultural Festival is a highly successful annual event that brings the Far North Queensland community together to celebrate the cultural depth of our region.

Celebrating multiculturalism since 1999, in the 25th anniversary year, the Mareeba Multicultural Festival will feature non-stop entertainment and incredible food stalls. You are guaranteed a magnificent day in Mareeba’s Arnold Park.

Entry is free!

More information
Stallholders

The Mareeba Multicultural Festival invites applications from commercial and not-for-profit food vendors which represent the cultural diversity of the Mareeba Shire.

The Mareeba Multicultural Festival also welcomes applications from services that provide support or services to diverse groups of people, or organisations with a particular focus on new or emerging cultural groups in the community.

Applications open 1 April 2024
Performers

The Mareeba Multicultural Festival Advisory Committee calls for nominations from performers to bring the festival to life.

Performances must demonstrate a unique cultural activity which might include dance, a form of martial arts, vocal performance, or other theatrical display.

Applications open 1 April 2024
Program

This family-friendly event kicks off at 10am with music and dance, while the aroma of coffee and delicious homemade delicacies filling the park.

Come along to experience the atmosphere while you are treated to performances from cultures across the world.

Take a seat in the shade to enjoy the tasty morsels from the food stalls while the performers bring the stage to life.

View the 2023 event program here

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What do I need to bring?

  1. Your culinary sense of adventure (and appetite) – there is an incredible variety of delicious food to try.
  2. A hat or umbrella – the event is under the shade of the trees in Arnold Park, and the shade sail over the basketball court, but it does run throughout the day. Please be sun smart.

Do I need chairs or a picnic blanket?

You are welcome to bring chairs and a picnic blanket, although Mareeba Shire Council does provide us with chairs and tables. The park does fill, so if you are planning on staying for the day, you may like to BYO chairs or blankets to set up your own ‘home base’.

Is the event cash-only?

Some of the stallholders will have EFTPOS available, however, some of the stalls are run by local family groups who do not have this type of facility.

An ATM is not available onsite, please withdraw cash to use before the event.

Is there a Lucky Door Prize?

Yes, all attendees have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the day with a free ‘lucky door’ prize. Remember! You have to be at the venue to win, as prizes will be redrawn if the winner is not in attendance.

Is there a raffle?

Yes, the Mareeba Multicultural Festival Committee will be selling raffle tickets on the day. Tickets are $5 each and give you the chance to win one of three major prizes. In previous years, the raffle winners have won vouchers for travel and local tourism experiences.

When is the program released?

The program will be available in the two weeks before the event!

The entertainment kicks off at 10am, with a Welcome to Country and Official Opening scheduled for 1pm. The entertainment runs non-stop throughout the day until the festival closes at 4pm.

I am extremely proud to be the very first Chair of the Mareeba Multicultural Festival and to have been a part of this special event since 1999. Please bring your friends and family to enjoy this wonderful day!

Giuliano CordenosInaugural Chair - Mareeba Multicultural Festival Advisory Committee

The Mareeba Multicultural Festival is a wonderful event. Run by a volunteer Advisory Committee and supported by Mareeba Shire Council, this event is linked very closely to our community. I am proud to be the Chair of a world-class event that attracts people from across the region and beyond.

Councillor Mary GrahamCurrent Committee Chair

Every year I enjoy organising the stalls to bring an incredible culinary experience to visitors at the festival. My wife and I also run a food stall where we cook mountains of gnocchi, and it is wonderful to see the crowds enjoying this traditional food. If you're a foodie, don't miss out on the Mareeba Multicultural Festival!

Frank AvolioCommittee Member

I have loved being part of the Festival for 25 years, as a member of the committee, a performer and a food stallholder. I love the energy that fills Arnold Park and seeing people enjoying delicious food they may not have tried before and the cultural performances.

Fatime MetouCommittee Member