Congregation of fine food and culture
People of all ages, from near and far, basked in the glory of the sun, and many local-based gourmet food and fresh produce market-style stalls. Each stall was an authentic representation of a gastronomic serving from a specific part of the world, and a local business (most of which have been reviewed in my monthly restaurant/cafe review column).
Mayan Coffee, situated at the top of Danks Street, Waterloo, offered free samples of their cinnamon and chili-flavoured coffee and chocolate from Guatemala. Lorenso's Mussels had passers-by queuing, and in awe of the huge Spanish paellas being cooked.
Steven Ryan, 30, a local resident and food lover, said: “What a fabulously flamboyant day! It’s great that this happens. A lot of people don't get to travel overseas. Or get to eat at all these great local restaurants, so a congregation of fine food and culture like this gives people a taste of what they haven't tried and what they are missing out on. It should happen more often.”
With an expanded artist market, live music, DJs and a children's craft area, there was plenty to do as well as eat. Performances from Sydney singer Tracy Redhead, Redfern-based bands, the Resurrectors and the Donovans, and popular funk group, Boom Band Krewe, along with a speech from Lord Mayor Clover Moore, kept the afternoon moving along.
Maybe events organisers at the City of Sydney should consider a Danks Street Festival on a larger scale and introduce something similar – like the Nottinghill Carnival in London: a grand, colourful carnival in the centre of Sydney, an Olympics of fine food and music to demonstrate and celebrate the wonderful cultures around us.
Source: South Sydney Herald November 2008 www.southsydneyherald.com.au