Moomba Festival
Moomba!
Moomba means \”get together and have fun.” And that’s just what the
people of Melbourne, Australia, do at the yearly Moomba Festival.
The Moomba Festival gets its name from the language of the Aborigines,
who were the first people to live in Australia. The festival runs for
eleven days. And there is something for everyone.
Among the many events are water shows and boat races on the Yarra river,
which
Australian children often take part in the Moomba parade. These
youngsters are riding unicycles.
flows through the city. At Melbourne Cricket Ground, children’s teams
play many different sports. There are games of cricket, which is a
favorite sport in Australia, as well as soccer, rugby and football. And
children’s plays are put on at an outdoor theatre.
The busy festival ends with a big parade on Labor Day, the second Monday
in March.
Bagpipe bands play lively marches and there are gaily decorated floats.
The Moomba King and Queen lead the parade. And everywhere there are
clowns and more clowns.
The people of Melbourne really know what moomba means!
