Kakadu Mahbilil Festival

Kakadu Mahbilil Festival

Early September

The one-day Mahbilil Festival is both a celebration of Australia's indigenous culture and a vehicle for promoting tourism in the Northern Territory. Formerly known as the Wind Festival, its festivities take place at Lake Jabiru, located within Kakadu National Park. The national park, a World Heritage Site, adjoins Arnhem Land, which historians conjecture may have been the first territory inhabited by the Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal leaders of Kakadu, who jointly manage the park, invite visitors to join them in celebrating a culture that reaches back 50,000 years. A festival highlight is the Magpie Goose cooking competition, in which contestants show off their best recipes and prepare their meals over a coal fire. Other activities include traditional dancing, market stalls, and live music by local indigenous bands. The festival's 20th anniversary in 2006 featured fireworks, fire twirling displays, and a film festival presenting the works of local young artists.

CONTACTS:
Kakadu National Park
Lake Jabiru
Civil Dr.
Jabiru, Northern Territory 0886 Australia
www.travelnt.com
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