A Festive Easter at Griffith La Festa

I couldn’t recommend a better time of year to visit the Riverina then the Easter break. The whole town comes alive with a real festive buzz and the options of what to do are endless. The only problem you will have is deciding which events to attend.

As we have been residing in Griffith for the past few months we decided to attend the Griffith Easter Festival named La Festa, Faces of Australia. La Festa is held in the town’s Community Gardens and showcases the many different cultures that create the diverse Griffith Community. The festival also showcases the region’s fine wine and fresh food produce.

I’d heard many mixed reviews about La Festa from local people prior to attending the event. Some had stated that since it had moved from the main street to the gardens it had gone downhill. With these opinions I went to the event with a negative outlook however I was pleasantly surprised. It had a lovely family atmosphere that wound it’s way throughout the gardens. It was a very enjoyable day and I can see why over 10,000 people embrace the festival each year.

For the foodies there were not only a myriad of food stalls there were also celebrity chef cooking demonstrations by Sammy & Bella from My Kitchen Rules and Paul Mercurio. The demonstrations were well received by the public and I think these should be honed in on for next year’s La Festa and create a real focus on this while the “celebrity chef craze” is still flying high.

The highlight of the festival for me was the Sunny Cowgirls. I love this Australia country music act they really know how to put on a great show and entertain the crowds. I felt sorry for them for the most part of their performance due to the lack of audience response. I don’t think they were the right act for the audience. The children loved it, I loved it and I saw a few others who were loving it but the majority of the audience was unreceptive.

I think La Festa is a great community event and should be given a lot more credit. It is great for families and a good way to encourage a sense of community amongst locals while showcasing what the region has to offer to visitors. If you are planning a trip to the Riverina around Easter next year make sure you add La Festa to your bucket list.