Colors of Canberra - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Locals are very friendly and welcoming. They are distinguished by sparkling sense of humor and friendly attitude towards foreigners. Denial of any authority can be called a distinctive trait of inhabitants of the city. They are willful and value freedom. During your communication with citizens you will also notice that they are quite laconic. Locals are not used to thinking for a long time, so in most cases decisions are made here very fast. Travellers who will have negotiations with business partners are recommended to be extremely honest and concise.

For instance, when describing the benefits of a product, you should definitely mention its weak sides. Frankness and honesty are valued above all by indigenous people. Ordinary travelers will also notice this trait when they visit local markets and shops. A seller will never impose a low-quality product to customers and will surely answer all questions honestly.

Locals are also distinguished by casual style of clothing. Colorful shirts and t-shirts, light dresses and hats of various colors – this is the typical clothes of Calgary residents. However, when going to an official event or business meeting, travellers should definitely choose appropriate clothes. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The habit of locals to ”speak through clenched teeth” is a peculiar “legacy of hard times”, so even travellers who are fluent in English will have hard time understanding locals. The local dialect is another prominent national trait of locals. It may be a bit hard to understand in the beginning, but people get used to it quickly. Speaking of the local culture, we simply cannot fail to mention numerous national holidays. Calgary residents are very passionate about sports, so various sports events have become a good tradition.

The famous car festival takes place in January, and in April residents of the city and visitors from neighboring countries enjoy Subaru Rally. Regular competitions in rugby and cricket also have a lot of fans. Local stadiums are always full of energetic spectators. A huge number of travellers arrive in Canberra during the days of Floriade Flower Festival that starts in late September. This colorful event attracts best florists that demonstrate their most beautiful compositions to the audience. Among other colorful festivals, which are definitely worth visiting, we simply cannot fail to mention National Folk Festival, Celebrate Canberra Festival, and Summernats Auto Show.

Enlighten Festival remains one of the most popular events in the festival calendar of Canberra. It is a two-week-long event that starts at the beginning of March. As it is not hard to guess by the name, Enlighten Festival is all about light and illumination. Central streets of the city get a new, upgraded look, and numerous restaurants and cafes join the celebration, offering a special festive menu. For travelers, it is an excellent opportunity to see performances of musicians, both local and foreign ones.

There is one more interesting event that takes place during the Enlighten Festival - Canberra Balloon Spectacular. As a rule, around 70 hot-air balloons of different shapes and constructions participate in the event. The magnificent show attracts the attention of hundreds of tourists who come to enjoy the view and take many memorable photographs. Besides the flights of hot-air balloons, the event’s visitors are welcome to watch interesting movies. Here it is important to mention that all movies are screened in the open air and close to the major landmarks of the capital of Australia. By the way, the entrance to the festival is absolutely free.

At the beginning of February, guests of Canberra should visit National Multicultural Festival, during which chefs from all parts of the world show their cooking skills and lure numerous guests with the magnificent aroma of freshly cooked food. An international team of musicians entertains visitors with their rich music culture, making the festival even more exciting. Parades, thematic parties, special events for children, outdoor festivities – the grandiose holiday would be incomplete without all these. All main streets of the city become the location of this wonderful festival.

Gourmets all over the world are well aware of the two-month-long Truffle Festival that starts in June and ends in August. Many popular restaurants and cafes participate in this event and offer a special menu for the two-month period. Best chefs show how skilled they are in cooking food with truffles and advise visitors on how to cook these dishes at home. Visitors, above everything else, can see with their own eyes how trained dogs find truffles that are then used to cook special gourmet dishes.

Beer Day Out is a no less popular event, during which more than 20 Australian and international breweries offer their best types of the foamy drink. Besides beer, it is also possible to try gin, cider, and wine. Interesting master classes and national cuisine sampling sessions have also become an essential part of this festival. This is a true nosh-up that starts at the beginning of December. This month is also the time for one more interesting one-day-long event, namely, National Live Music Awards. This music award is given to best Australian musicians and performers. Of course, this event is impossible to imagine without wonderful concerts. Other cities in Australia (Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart) also greet participants of the festival for one day.