Karkar to host bilum festival

KARKAR Island will come alive this weekend with a spectacular two-day Bilum Festival where the famous Karkar bilums synonymous with Madang will be featured.
Show chairman Macklai Bisai said it would be the first of its kind for the Sumgilbar and Karkar people.
He said the show would start on Friday and end on Saturday, with charter boats and dinghies on standby.
Mabor village, on the Waskia side of the island, will be the host village.
District administrator, Grace Babob said the event was to showcase the array of bilum and the art of weaving the bilum.
“It is a time to gather the Sumkar people in one single event where they can feel a sense of belonging,” she said.
“We will be having the North Coast Highway patrol policemen here to control any rowdy behaviour. We want to make this historic festival memorable.”
A live band and other traditional dances and musicians will perform over the two days.
At the same time, the event will celebrate the receiving of two police vehicles donated by their MP, Ken Fairweather.
One vehicle will be used on Karkar, while the other will serve the North Coast and be based at the Talidig Police Station.
The police vehicles will be used for law and order community awareness programmes.
Babob said there were chartered flights to the island daily for visitors interested in checking out the show.
The event is free and open to all.