Lurra Festival Maningrida

Preparations for Maningrida’s L’urra Festival are well under way with this year’s event to be held on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 15. Event Organiser Noeletta McKenzie said L’urra Festival features a wide variety of components. “All events are a highlight to our community, but I think the biggest highlights will be the introduction of some new events such as a fashion parade that is being proudly supported by Bawinanga Babarra Women’s Centre,” she said. “The official opening ceremony will launch the festival weekend with traditional Bungul and a big feed of bush tucker kindly donated by our very own Djelk Rangers.” The festivities kick off at the school with a family fair, followed by a basketball competition, a fashion parade and youth dance off competition. “The young people are always excited by the dance off competition. This year all dancers will get a prize, but they must register by September 30. They are already rehearsing for it!” The festival will also feature plenty of sports events including the junior football competition, touch football, men’s football competition and the Fun Run. “The Fun Run is a very new event but the community is gearing up for it this event will see young and old compete,” Noeletta said. Noeletta added that women’s basketball and football is always a hit, with teams coming from Croker Island to compete. Run by West Arnhem Regional Council, Sport and Recreation Coordinator Seide Ramadani said, “We are very excited to be part of Lurra Festival and will be delivering a Fun Run with our friends at Athletics NT, Basketball comp with Gerard and Sheena and Touch Footy comp with Rebecca Shilton.” The festival will also feature a market day, workshops, slip and slide, cooking and more. “The concert will have the community dancing. We have guest bands Wild Water Band, Barra West Wind from Yirrkala, Ash Man Band from Adelaide and of course our wonderful local talent Letter stick, Sunrize, KK Boyz and Sunset Liverpool.” We have a week of Indigenous Hip HOP Workshops scheduled to take place in our newly refurbished town hall the week leading into the festival! We are also creating 3 film clip with the IHHP programs to be launched during the festival weekend.” Noeletta said the L'urra Festival is a drug, alcohol and violence free event, and she encourages the community to get involved and enjoy the weekend. “I would also like to thank the endless work of the L’urra Committee and the voluntary work from our events coordinators, without this mob this festival would not happen. Thanks also to all our deadly sponsors!”