Lead organiser Eric Lim said he estimated more than 40 nationalities were represented at the free event, which was jointly run by the Queenstown Lakes District Council and a trust.
Mayor John Glover told festival-goers the event was not only about food, music and culture, but an opportunity to learn about the many different nationalities in the district, ‘‘because it’s how we grow as a community together’’.
It was poignant the festival was held on International Race Relations Day at a time when everyone could ‘‘see what's happening elsewhere in the world’’, Mr Glover
said.
Also attending was race relations commissioner Dr Melissa Derby, who said New Zealand was not a perfect country, but ‘‘luckier than many’’.
‘‘There are over 200 different ethnic groups in Aotearoa New Zealand now, that are providing incredible vibrancy, and today is a perfect example of that.’’
The theme of International Race Relations Day this year was to ‘‘find common ground and connect on our shared values and shared humanity’’, Dr Derby said.
‘‘We have far more in common with one another than what separates us.
‘‘The opportunity to connect and listen to each other's stories and to hear different experiences and backgrounds, provides a degree of cohesion and harmony that we really need in the world at the moment.’’
