Only a few days before the Alice Desert Festival opening parade on Friday 11th September.

Excitement is building in town, with so much creative energy going in to the preparations – building giant puppets for the parade, rehearsals for various events, preparing the new weekend event space – The Pod – on Anzac Oval – people testing out their recipes for the bushfoods/wildfoods recipe competition …. so much to feast your eyes, ears and stomach on!

Over the last week on 8CCC-FM we’ve heard from a number of the people involved in this year’s festival, including:

Scott Large, Festival Manager, who is particularly delighted to have some new people involved in organising the Bush Bands Bash this saturday (Scott was production manager for this event for the last 2-3 years), and is looking forward to The Black Armband concert “Murundak”, featuring Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Lou Bennett, Kutcha Edwards (who was here in 2008 for the Many Roads One Voice concert) and a wealth of other respected Aboriginal musicians all on stage at the Pod, 8pm on Sunday 13 Sept.

Cherie Hughes, coordinator o f the Parade on friday night and The Magic Garden (children’s space and events at the Pod on Sunday 13 Sept).  She described the amazing puppets that are being created for the parade and to decorate the Magic Garden – celebrating the microfauna of Central Australia – I can’t wait to see it.

Bec Gooderham, Bushfoods Coordinator, who described some of the dishes which you can try at the eating houses of Alice Springs during September – new dishes celebrating the bushfoods, wildfoods and local produce of this region – called Alice on the Menu.  You can find the details of this at the ABC Radio website and also be going to Harvest Fayre on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th at the Pod and picking up a list of participating restaurants and cafes.  Click here for more information about all the Bushfoods events in the festival

Stay tuned to 8CCC-FM for more stories, background and insight into the creativity of Central Australia up to and right through the Alice Desert Festival.