If you want to explore exotic tastes from around the world, head to the Autumn Festival of Food Multi Cultural Bite (MCB) in the Ashburton Domain on Saturday.
Whether you want to try a Filipino satay chicken bite or indulge in a delectable dessert from South America, it will all be there, among about 20 stalls offering bite-size treats.
A vibrant display of national attire and performances will add to the atmosphere.
Organisations such as Ashburton Kidney Society and Cancer Society Mid Canterbury will be on site providing education.
MCB committee member Rich Fox said the portion size meant festival goers could try several different items.
The event has attracted about 5000 each year, a number organisers are expecting again this year.
About 15,000 tickets to exchange for a bite were bought last year, when the event was held on Waitangi Day.
‘‘With the marae celebration of Waitangi Day growing, we decided, out of respect, to change the date, as our event is about all cultures,’’ Fox said.
‘‘We have set a permanent date of the first Saturday in March. After setting the date we learned that Children’s Day is held on the first Sunday of the March so we hope this doesn’t impact either event,’’ Fox said.
Moving the date also meant school groups would have time to prepare if they wanted to be part of the day.
A Mid Canterbury chef, a food technology teacher and a community food enthusiast will have the hard task of choosing the best bite. Each stall gets to present one bite of their best food to the judges.
There are also prizes for the best attire, best performer and best stall. The public also gets to vote for their favourite bite.
– Autumn Festival of Food Multi Cultural Bite, Ashburton Domain, Saturday 11am to 3pm. Free entry, tickets for bites of food $3 each.
