Time ripe for annual fruit festival
HCM CITY — Performances by art troupes from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia will be the highlight of the annual Southern Fruit Festival that opens at the Suoi Tien Park in HCM City's District 9 on June 1.
The annual event, organised by the city departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Agriculture and Rural Development, seeks to showcase the wide range of fruits grown in the south, promote reputed fruit brands, and honour farmers.
Other activities include the re-creation of a typical floating fruit market with 70 boats, a contest for making things from fruit, food made using fruits, an exhibition, a fruit parade, artistic displays, traditional music, and folk games.
There will be a "safe and delicious fruit" display contest featuring nearly 600 artisans from 21 provinces and cities.
Besides popular varieties, some 300 rarer kinds will also be on display at the three-week festival.
Huynh Dong Tuan, deputy general director of Suoi Tien Park, said more than 1,500 tonnes of fruits were sold during last year's festival.
More than 100 travel firms, including foreign ones, have promised to take tourists to Suoi Tien Park for the event.
With the display and sales of fruits expected to continue for three months, the organisers expect more than 1.6 million visitors. The festival has been organised since 2004. — VNS