Townsville will get a taste of African cultures with an African Festival to be held next weekend.

By Ellanah Ritchie

Africa will be brought to life this weekend in Townsville for the fourth annual African Festival to be held at Riverway Park.

The African Festival is made possible through Spirit of Africa and will this year commemorate the life of African legend Nelson Mandela through special performances and guest speakers.

JCU student and native Zimbabwean Tom Phiri established the organisation when he noticed a growing African community in Townsville.

“We saw that the African community in Townsville was growing every year, and a few [people] were having problems about coming to a new place and not knowing anyone,” Phiri says.

“So we decided to come up with the Spirit of Africa, to help people and introduce them to Townsville.

“We also wanted our children to maintain their culture, so that they don’t forget where they come from even though we are living in Australia.”

Immerse: Cultures from all over Africa will be on display this coming weekend.

The African Festival aims to give the Townsville public a taste of the African way of life including dance, food and the sharing of cultural practices.

“A lot of people don’t know much about Africa other than our animals, but there is more to it than that,” Phiri says.

“The festival will showcase traditional dancing, drumming, and educational stalls about African culture.

“We will be cooking many different types of food which come from all around Africa.

“This year is a special one as we will be honouring one of our African legends, Mr Nelson Mandela.

“Most of the activities will be based around him and his contribution to Africa and the world at large, so that is the main theme for this year.

“We also have groups performing and invited guest speakers who will be speaking about African history and Mr Mandela’s achievements.”

The African Festival coincides with Africa Day, a major celebration across 54 African countries in which the leaders ofl the nations get together to form the African Organisation and discuss issues across the continent.

The event will be held at Riverway Park from 12pm-6pm, Saturday 31 May, with free-entry to the public.

Heading out to Townsville’s top music festival this weekend? We have all the tips you need to survive the day.

By Kristen Mathiesen

Townville’s biggest social event of the season is fast approaching and the word on everyone’s lips is ‘Groovin’, but what do first time Moo-ers need to know?

You’ve got your ticket and your outfit sorted. You’ve got a couple of pre-Groovin’ parties lined up to get you into that festival spirit. You’re ready to let loose and dance the day away. But what have you forgotten? We’ve got your back; here is a list of essentials that you may not have thought to take.

We guarantee these items will get you through the day and well into the night.

FESTIVAL FEVER: The set time list for Townsville’s GTM.

Sunscreen – The festival venue doesn’t offer much in the way of shade so heed the advice of the Sun Mum and lather up.

Hat and Sunglasses – Townsville is synonymous with sunshine, keep this in mind when packing your festival survival kit. Remember cheap is best so you don’t have to stress about loosing or breaking your favourite sunnies while breaking it down to Disclosure. Also, Crazy Clarkes does a mean $4 sombrero!

Comfy shoes – Comfortable shoes are a must! You are going to be on your feet for the better half of a day so put on the comfiest pair of dancing shoes you have at your disposal. Closed-in is always best to protect your feet from overzealous festival-goers in the mosh.

Poncho or Raincoat – There is always a chance it could rain. Leave your bulky umbrellas at home and opt for something small and lightweight like a raincoat or a poncho. After all, it’s impossible to be unhappy in a poncho.

Water – You’re rocking out front row at Karnivool but the dust kicked up by the mosh pit is wreaking havoc on your lungs, you don’t want to miss the end of their set just to go find some water. Aah, but what’s this? The handy bottle of water you packed for such an occasion, thanks past self! Trust me, you are going to want to consume a lot of water. Save time and money by taking your own bottle which you can refill as needed at the water stations provided.

Cash – Probably the one thing I always forget and the one thing you need the most. If you want to purchase food, drinks, merchandise, or anything, you will need cash! There will be an ATM on site but we already know what that line is going to look like. Save yourself the stress of having to borrow cash from friends by thinking in advance and taking your own.

Snacks – It has to be said that you are probably going to be caught up having so much fun that you are going to forget to eat. Or you may wander past a food vendor but be put off by the length of those lines. Pack yourself some snacks to get you through the afternoon. Mixed nuts, fruit, protein bars, etc. are all a quick energy fix to keep you dancing through the night.

Earplugs – If loud music isn’t your thing, or you simply want to protect those delicate ears of yours, a pair of earplugs can never go astray.

Vitamins – This is not so important during the festival but remember to maintain your vitamin intake before and after Groovin to best protect yourself from Festival Fever.

Lastly, remember to take a good attitude. As sweet as the line-up is, your festival experience will only be as good as you make it.

Festival Details:

When – Sunday 4^th May, 2014. Gates open 10.30am.

Where – Murray Sports Complex, Annandale QLD 4814.

You can buy your tickets online through MOSHTIX or through selected independent outlets. Tickets are $99.90 + booking fee. Please visit www.gtm.net.au for more information.

The loss of the May Day Holiday after the Groovin the Moo weekend is making it harder for local businesses.

By Sandra Haaland and Cornelia Koppang Henriksen

DISCUSSING ECONOMY: Mayor Jenny Hill and Councillors Suzanne Blom and Jenny Lane visited the radio studio at JCU to discus how Groovin the Moo affects the local economy. PHOTO: Cornelia Koppang Henriksen

The lack of a public holiday following the popular festival ‘Groovin the Moo’ is expected to result in a smaller economic profit for local businesses in the Townsville region.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill says that because the government moved the Monday public holiday last year, it has made it harder for smaller businesses and the ‘Groovin the Moo’ festival held annually on the first Sunday in May.

“This year will be interesting to see what will happen in turns of the full effect of missing the May Day holiday because people used to stay the extra night to the Monday and stay an extra day in the city before going home,” Hill says.

The main issue surrounding the loss of the holiday is the survival of ‘Groovin the Moo’  in Townsville and the extra money it generates for local businesses.

The manager at Banjo Paterson Motor Inn & Restaurant, Chrissy Lee, says the loss of the extra holiday is bad for her business.

“Normally people would book rooms for Saturday and Sunday night, but this year they are only staying one night,” Lee says.

“We will lose close to 5 000 dollars the Groovin the Moo weekend because of the holiday removal.”

Lee says that the festival should change from Sunday to Saturday, or get the May day holiday back to prevent the local economy to drop

Townsville City Council member and Community and Culture Committee chair Suzanne Blom says businesses need to make sure that they are competitive and that what they offer is as good as their competitors.

“Hopefully our accommodation businesses will put packages together for the people to encourage them to use their facilities,” Blom says.

“We hope that our small businesses that sell merchandises will advertise for our city.”

Mayor Hill says the festival has given the economy a great boost over the past six years and hopes to continue the partnership into the future.

People travel from other regional cities such as Mackay and Cairns for the weekend.

“About half of the attendance from Groovin the Moo do not live in the city,” Hill says.

In Townsville the festival can hold up to 12 000 attendants which has come close to selling out in the past couple of years.

“Groovin the Moo is a great event, and it is designed for regional cities,” Hill says.

“The ticket sale in Townsville is a bit slower than it should be this year, and I think they have sold out almost everywhere else.”

JCNN was not able to get in touch with Groovin the Moo organizers for comments on the matter.

Podcast produced by: Sydney Nolan, Sandra Haaland, Kyla Whitmore and Cornelia Koppang Henriksen