| Off the back of another hugely successful K’Ozzie Festival organisers have flagged the idea of taking the popular event elsewhere.Ursula Lang helps organise the Polish festival, which this year celebrated the 170th anniversary of the discovery and naming of Mount Kosciuszko by Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki, as well as the 200th anniversary of the birth of Polish composer Chopin.
Harmony Day celebrations coincided with this year’s annual K’Ozzie Fest, which saw Centennial Park bursting with colour as singers and dancers from all over took to the stage.
Mrs Lang said this year’s festival was great with a lot of people coming to see the Polish entertainment and Krzysztof Malek’s piano recital on Monday night well supported but the event was looking to shift focus a little.
“We are in Sydney and it is difficult to organise a festival from another town,” Mrs Lang said. “We’ve been coming to Cooma for years and it’s been wonderful each event has grown which has been great.” Mrs Lang said festival organisers were looking to make the Polish component part of an existing festival rather than a festival in its own right.
Organisers have been discussing involvement with Tumbafest in Tumbarumba or the new festival in Dalgety to take the place of Snowy River Festival, which will likely move to Jindabyne this year.
Cooma-Monaro Shire General Manager John Vucic said it would be disappointing to see the Polish component leave Cooma. He has vowed to make contact with the organisers to see if they would consider staying on next year.
“I would like to discuss future arrangements of the K’Ozzie Festival with all stakeholders including the Snowy River Shire Council and the Rotary Club along with K’Ozzie Fest organisers,” he said. Mr Vucic said he would like to see Cooma tap into its multicultural heritage and hold a multicultural event of sorts of which the K’Ozzie Fest could be a part.
“As a council we’re very supportive of the K’Ozzie Fest and have worked closely with the organisers who have made it the huge success it is,” he said.
The K’Ozzie Fest was deemed to be a success when it was held in the region over four days recently. A highlight of the festival was a celebration in Centennial Park on Sunday. Photo: Cooma Monaro Express |
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(PP: sorry, we do not have an access to page 7 as it is the internet version of the article).
Reprinted from Cooma Monaro Express, 25th of March 2010
Traditional Monaro Dancers. Photo Puls Polonii |
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