Emerge in the West Festival 2013

Overview

Stepping off the train at Footscray station can feel somewhat like wandering into the twilight zone — it smells different, it looks different and the locals have a distinctive, devilish look in their eyes that is a by product of 1) the ridiculously low cost of vegetables and rave cats in the local area, 2) a sugar high post rampant Olympic Donuts binge or 3) the many splendid delights of a visit to Savers. Despite the fact that the ‘Scray (not to be confused with Scary) is sandwiched somewhere between super posh pockets Kensington, Seddon and Yarraville, you ain’t gonna find no Pleasantville-esque faux grass or Mum’n’bub conventions around here. In short, you’re a long way from Kansas.

What you will find is a vibrant, lively African migrant community that brings much literal and metaphorical colour to the neighbourhood. This Saturday the Emerge in the West festival, presented by Multicultural Arts Victoria as part of the larger Emerge Festival, will see the main drag come alive with a bustling street fiesta celebrating the contribution of the large African community to local life. Expect Somali, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Azmari, Burundian, West African and Cape Verdean music, cooking classes, coffee ceremonies, a walking tour and even an African/Aussie fashion parade — we’re picturing a dashiki styled with a cork hat.

Plus, despite widely held popular misconceptions, it’s only 11 minutes from the city.

Image via eco-friendly-africa-travel.com