The 14th street festival will be held from December 28 to January 1, 2013, said Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN), the organizer of the event. “The event will give opportunity to the visitors to bid adieu to 2012 and welcome 2013 in a festive way. As usual, the venue for the event is Lake Side,” said Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai, president of REBAN.[break]
The organizer has set "Let´s eat, dance and make merry on the street" as the slogan for the festival that will be organized along the three-kilometer stretch of lakeside from Fishtail Gate to Dihikopatan.
The festival will have around 150 stalls and restaurants will set up eateries on the road. “It will showcase arts, crafts, culture and traditions of Pokhara as well as the surrounding areas. The aim is to conserve and promote local arts and culture among local as well as foreign tourists,” said Bhattarai.
The organizer also hopes that the festival will be instrumental in establishing and promoting Nepali cuisines and their tastes among visitors.
REBAN has been organizing the street festival every year marking the New Year. Given that the period is regarded as off season, when activities like trekking, rafting and mountaineering come to the halt, entrepreneurs said the festival has been giving a boost to their businesses during slack period.
“Tourist arrivals normally remain low during this season, though Christmas and New Year attracts a significant number of tourists in Pokhara. In such a context, street festival over the years have become one major tourist pulling season,” said Bhattarai.
Apart from foreign visitors, a large number of Nepalis too travel to Pokhara during the New Year. Owing to winter, visitors love to sit by the warmth provided by the eateries and enjoy food.
During the festival, the organizer has prepared to show dances of various ethnic groups living in Pokhara. It has also developed a package of other cultural programs and religious activities, apart from folk songs and duets.
“We will also be organizing Tourist Race, Boat Racing, Tug of War and other games in order to pull and entertain the visitors,” said Bhimsen Bhujel, coordinator of the Pokhara Street Festival Organizing Committee.
Through the event, entrepreneurs would also be exhibiting handicraft items, products of local cottage and small industries, and readymade garments, Bhujel added.
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