The 67th annual Goroka Show is set on the 15th-17th, September, this year in Goroka, Eastern Highlands.

On the Friday, 15th, September will be the staging of the Pikinini Day or Pikinini festival where all children will be dressed in their traditional attires or bilas to promote their culture and understand their culture says Keryn Hargreaves, Chairlady, Goroka Show.Mrs. Keryn Hargreaves said children are the footprints into the future to preserving our culture.

“This is because a lot of culture is dying away now and the way to put the headdresses or bilas or how to put everything on to a person has to be pass on to the younger generation to harness it and to take it onboard, protect it and continue into the future. Otherwise, if we don’t in the future, we will lose that fabric of where we come from or the sense identity. Therefore, the aim of the Pikinini festival is all about advocating and educating our children on the significance of our cultures,” said Mrs. Hargreaves.

She said “so I hope that National Cultural Commission will see our Pikinini festival as very important part of the event and may be in the future can come in a way to support that through education or schools programs.”

Mrs. Hargreaves added that culture is everyone’s business. “Culture we live and breathe with it every day. We are Papua New Guineans and it is part of us and it is very important that we all play are part in preserving and promoting our culture. And through the shows is one of the way that we come to see that culture is much alive in Papua New Guinea. This year Goroka show will feature 150 sing sing groups from all the four regions of the country, all the way from Hela in the Highlands to Momase and Southern region, “said Mrs. Hargreaves.

She went on to thank the National Cultural Commission, as the custodian of all cultural shows and festivals in the country for the continuous support towards Goroka show.

National Cultural Commission Executive Director Steven Enomb Kilanda upon presenting the cheque of K20, 000 as assistance emphasized that cultural festivals and shows are one of the way in which culture is still alive and encouraged greater participation from mini cultural festivals to provincial shows.

NCC is happy to support the 67th Goroka show as it is one of the oldest shows in the country celebrating its 67 years of running. “We will continue to support Goroka show and other shows in the country but we urged those bigger shows to work closely with the mini shows and festivals established in the rural and urban areas,” said Mr. Kilanda.