2011 SEASON INFORMATION 50 Years Under a Tropical Sun
HISTORIC OVERVIEW: The Cairns Festival The Festival Soul: Thoughts on the 50th Season by Producer Eric Holowacz With the opening of a new Green Island jetty on 26 May, 1962, the Far North had something to celebrate—another reason for people to seek out our community, venture to the reef, and play under the tropical sun. As the civic leaders and tourism industry staff planned this new venture fifty years ago, it was clear that a creative celebration was in order. And so began the annual event that would become the Cairns Festival. Established in 1962 as the Cairns Tourist Festival, the gathering was renamed "Fun in the Sun" the following year—and soon began drawing families, creative people, and tourists to celebrate our Far North sense of place. As the decades rolled on, it grew into our community's most significant annual celebration. It became a Festival about who we are, the historic and multicultural connections we have at our roots, and the international mix of people who come to Cairns to learn about life between reef and rainforest. For many who grew up with Fun in the Sun, the Festival was simply about having a good time with friends and neighbours—unbridled, tropical, home-town fun. And as the annual event matured, it gained a following far and wide as Far North Queensland's annual celebration of identity—our culture, a unique tropical lifestyle, lush and rich landscapes, an incredible creative community, and a special fusion of Indigenous, Asian, European, and South Pacific cultures. As the decades wore on, the Festival developed platforms for music, dance, theatre, film, literary arts, and new collaborations. It became a destination—a reason for people in Melbourne or Perth to join us under this warm winter sun. By the early nineties, the event was ready to evolve further. It was renamed the "Reef Festival," and in 2002 was rebranded as "Festival Cairns." Finally, with last year's season, what started as a small town community gathering was renamed Cairns Festival. It was now one of Australia's recognized creative programs, nearly 100 unique events over 17 days, with a vibrant mix of performing, visual, Indigenous, hometown and international artistry.
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