Festivals fit for our culture

WE'VE seen various fairs and festivals held in the country. Some draw a decent crowd but they lack meaning in that they aim solely for commercial gain on the part of organisers and merchants. A few hold promise both in the crowds they attract and their relevance and suitability to our culture. One of which is the country's first fruit festival. The five-day festival which has been extended due to demand from both consumers and vendors, incidentally, follows the success of our very own regatta. Both festivals possess authenticity when viewed in the context of our way of life. Anyone who knows a bit about the Sultanate is likely to attach to it the image of the water village. A sporting event that celebrates a life lived on the bounty of riverine resources is a perfect fit. It's an event that we ourselves find easy to love and when such is the case, it is easier for visitors to feel the energy and be drawn to it as well.

It's the same case with the fruit festival. Vendors love the opportunity to see people flocking to their stalls. No big surprise, come to think of it. We're a fruit-loving people and it was just a matter of creating a fair that would magnify this and get many of us to partake of the goods in an atmosphere of community and celebration.

Meaningful festivals are the way to go if we truly want visitors to find more reasons to come and see what we've got. We celebrate what we truly own- our culture, our heritage, our beginnings.

We can try and waste time and money on inventing fancy copycat festivals that prey on consumerism. We can do it every year and see lacklustre results repeating themselves. It's about time we put to rest festivals that do not have bearing on the preservation of our culture and heritage. We look inward and we are more likely to be happy about new entries on our community calendar. We meet each other and nurture a sense of belongingness. If visitors come and join us, then that's a bonus.