TIME TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF CRAB FEST ON MARCH 8 AND 9
“Our 10th annual Mandurah Channel Seven Crab Fest is coming up on March 8 and 9, so we’re throwing a two-day party to celebrate – and everyone’s invited,” Mayor Creevey said.
“Getting to and from Mandurah is a breeze now, and the normal Foreshore Express shuttle service from the station to the foreshore has been beefed up with other charter buses over the Crab Fest weekend to cope with the anticipated influx of visitors.”
A seafood-inspired dinner courtesy of celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi on the Friday night in the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre will kick off the celebrations, then non-stop festivities along the Mandurah foreshore are scheduled throughout the Saturday and Sunday, including a spectacular fireworks display on Saturday night.
Mandurah’s famous Blue Manna crabs, after which the festival is named, will feature prominently of course, along with some very timely advice on responsible crabbing, size and bag limits from members of the Mandurah Professional Fishers Association.
“We want to ensure Mandurah crabs are on the menu for a very long time - sustainability is the only way to go,” Mayor Creevey said.
Sustainability is also a key theme running through this year’s Crab Fest, with Mirvac funding a $15,000 sponsorship to Carbon Neutral, who will partner with Men of the Trees to plant nearly 6000 trees in the Wheatbelt to combat salinity and erosion.
Environmentally friendly public toilets are being used, all stallholders will be encouraged to use recycled or recyclable products – in 2009 their use will be mandatory – and recycling bins will be placed at a number of locations.
Entertainment includes a two-day water carnival on the estuary, loads of children’s activities, a fashion parade, cooking demos with celebrity chefs Iain Lawless and Martin Gillespie, and five stages along the foreshore, including those at Mandjar Square and the Smart Street Mall that will feature non-stop entertainment, roving entertainers, and sensational food.
Full details are in the Crab Fest program on the City of Mandurah website www.mandurah.wa.gov.au/tourism/crabfest.
RELEASE ENDS
28 February 2008