Suoi Tien to kick off fruit festival

Suoi Tien to kick off fruit festival

Suoi Tien Park, which is located 15 kilometers east of downtown in HCMC District 9, is preparing for the annual festival called "Southern Fruit Festival 2007," which will take place from June 1 until June 19.

This years event, the fourth of its kind, will include activities such as decorative fruit arrangements, impressive fruit sculptures, fun fruit eating contests, exciting fruit games, as well as fruit seminars and new fruit introductions.

The organizer says the theme of the fruit arrangement contest will be based on Vietnam joining the WTO, as well as traditional culture and heroes, among others.

The festival will also include a fruit parade, performed by artists disguised as trees and fruits, called "The Fairy Festival for Hundreds of Fruits of Four Seasons," which will feature four fruit-decorated floats, each float representing one season of the year.

Another highlight, the Fruit Market built as a city of fruits, is expected to attract some 50 fruit vendors displaying typical fruits from regions around the country, including durian, mango, longan, pomelo, litchis, plums, as well as many others. The fruit market began over the weekend and will last until September 2.

The organizer says the festival is not only an annual highlight for fruit sellers, but also for local and international tourists who can get an overview of the country diverse selection of fruits.

Last years festival included some 60 creative fruit arrangements, as well as 24 artistic fruit sculptures, hundreds of tons of fruit were also sold during the event.