By the third week of October, the National Kenu and Kundu Festival village in
Alotau, Milne Bay Province should be up and ready.
This was revealed by festival chairman Peter Tarumuri.
This is despite the unpredictable weather currently being experienced in the province which has held up progress so far.
It is an annual struggle for the organising committee who aired concerns that there was a need for a permanent site for this major southern region festival which is into its ninth year.
“Much of the festival site has been earmarked for a major Massim Cultural Centre project, one that was mapped out in the last term with plans to carry it through this term,” Mr Tarumuri said.
He said nonetheless, the committee still has faith that the Milne Bay Provincial Government would still support them if it considers the event as the major drawcard for tourism in the province.
“As it is, all hotels and lodges are close to being fully booked for the festival weekend for this coastal cultural extravaganza. District co-ordinators of the festival in Milne Bay have confirmed numbers of the variety of canoes that would be brought in from each of their areas, totaling over 30,” Mr Tarumuri said.
He said outside interests, in particular to the kundu aspect of the festival, have also been confirmed from New Ireland, Manus and Central provinces.
The committee was currently in talks with a group from the Western Province.
The festival village should be built in the third week of this month to cater
for the Milne Bay Music Festival partners which would use the venue for their
three-day event from October 28 to November 1 before the 9th National Kenu &
Kundu Festival starts from November 2- 4.
Bank South Pacific remains the naming rights sponsor of the festival while the committee has revealed they have a few new sponsors that have come onboard to show their support this year.
Source: Post Courier Online
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