Kathu Cultural Street Festival - 6th year

Kathu Cultural Street Festival was a lot of fun - it was designed to showcase the blend of cultures in the area of Kathu.

There was a parade which started before we were able to get there which meant we missed it - but here's a link to 2013 parade, sorry - here's Jamies 2011 parade photographs.

There was a 'post' by the Phuket Gazette but I missed that one, next year?

We arrived in the evening where there was a big opening performance at one end of the road - near to where I have fond memories of the morning Phuket Vegetarian Festival Walk each year.

We found a spot to park and then wandered into what looked like a road wide Traditional  Market - this meant that there was a lot of food. The sour sausages are always my favourite and this meant a quick start - they were all mine!

Kathu was the centre of Tin Mining (and it's five different stages?) so it has undergone a number of influences (Chinese, Indian and Malayan would be the main) and the Festival intended to show that to us.

After this then began the small stands of odd things to buy - culture was not the first thing on my lips when I saw piles of elastic bands to make wrist bands with but hey they were fabulous.

Then there was the Elvis Presley stage? It was at this point that I turned to the brochure and there was nothing written in English so I pocketed that swiftly - not without realising that there was a competition in it to visit three shrines.

At this point it became a Cultural Street Fair - Jemma was drawn to the children walking on coconut shells, riding 'plant branch horses' and more fun. This gave me an opportunity for some more sausages but none looked as good as the first ones.

Then we came across the 'Floating Man' - great.

We attempted to win a fish with a paper net?

Jemma was adamant to try to shoot something off the shelf - we did and it was very loud, but we are not doing that one again!

We saw a Chinese Dragon Dance and fireworks near Wat Kathu and decided that it was enough for us. On returning I found some more sausages, Jemma fed a baby goat, Jemma rode a toy horse and balanced on a standing bicycle.

Lots of fun was had.