2014 Candle Festival
~ Articles and photos by JETAA Canberra ~
October in Canberra means two things: finally the start of warmer weather and the annual Canberra Nara Candle Festival, the biggest Japanese festival in our nation’s capital each year.
Candle Festival 2014 was held on October 25th at the Canberra Nara Peace Park in Lennox Gardens. ACT Events had warned stallholders that numbers were expected to be up on last year’s estimated 15,000 attendees but nothing prepared us for the onslaught!
JETAA Canberra runs a yearly “gyouza and beer stall” which has always proved popular. We would like to say it is because of the quality of our barbecuing technique and secret gyouza sauce recipe, but it might have something to do with $5 Asahi and Sapporo beer . . .
Having learned a lot about what did and didn’t work in a high pressure festival environment last year, JETAA Canberra felt we were in a better position this year, but with the weather topping 35 degrees and the decision to run a “drinks only” line to keep the queues moving saw us sell out of beer in an hour and a half, when last year we had some stock left over.
Thankfully JETAA members and volunteers pulled together for (several) quick drink runs and it all worked out in the end. Thanks to everyone that chipped in. We really couldn’t do it without you.
Given what we learned this year, next year’s event promises to be even bigger and we will be even more prepared!
