Mayor Paul Pisasale
City of Ipswich
This year's Ipswich Festival will be more than a celebration of the city's strong community spirit. It will be a celebration of our resilience as a city.
The January flood hit us hard, but it also proved how strong Ipswich is. Mother Nature could hurt our properties but could never damage our spirit. Thousands of people took to the street with loads of compassion and determination, creating a mud army of helpers.
In May, Ipswich City Council hopes thousands more take to the streets of Ipswich Central as we honour those who helped Ipswich and its residents in our time of need. This year's festival parade will be a thank you to the SES crews, emergency service workers and volunteers who helped in the clean up.
Mark May 21 in your diaries now. After the months of hard work cleaning up and rebuilding, this will be a day of fun and frivolity where flood-affected residents and volunteers can relax and rekindle friendships forged while ankle-deep in mud. The day will start with a circus in the mall, with two hours of mayhem, juggling, balancing acts and slapstick comedy. The Festival Parade will then wind through the CBD, before the city's biggest street party kicks off with five stages of free entertainment.
The Ipswich Festival is always a highlight on the Ipswich events calendar. It offers free or low-cost entertainment for the whole family and brings the community together in a city-wide celebration of the Ipswich lifestyle. In 2011, there will be a few changes and additions, in particular, the Global Fiesta will move to Queens Park and Kids Kingdom will be held in Robelle Domain at Springfield Central.
On behalf of all Councillors, I thank all residents and volunteers for their amazing efforts, hard-work and dedication to making Ipswich an even better place after the flood. Now more than ever, it is time to celebrate, to relax and enjoy the Ipswich Festival. I encourage all residents to take advantage of the myriad of events on offer and enjoy them with friends and family.
Mayor Paul Pisasale
City of Ipswich