The preparations for the 25th edition of the Pokhara Street Festival have begun. Held every year to bid farewell to the English old year and welcome the new year, this festival has been taking place in Pokhara for the last 25 years.
The event is organized by the Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) Pokhara every year during the same time period. This year, the festival will be held from 13th to 17th Poush in the tourist area of Lakeside in Pokhara. The five-day festival will cover an area of about 3 kilometers in Lakeside, as informed by the organizers during a press meeting on Monday.
REBAN Pokhara’s President, Bishwraj Poudel, mentioned that they are expecting around 500,000 visitors, both domestic and international, this year. According to him, there will also be significant movement of local visitors in the Lakeside area during the five-day event.
There were some concerns in the tourism sector due to traffic disruptions on the highway during Dashain and Tihar, which affected domestic tourism. However, Poudel stated that the situation has now improved, and they are hopeful that more domestic visitors will come compared to Dashain and Tihar.
“Pokhara has always had access issues, but now that travel has become easier, we can expect more domestic tourists than during the festival seasons,” he added.
This event is also expected to help promote Pokhara as a destination for both domestic and international tourists for the “English New Year.” Poudel mentioned that the festival, with its slogan “Eat on the street, have fun on the street,” has become a prestigious event over time.
The festival will promote local culture and art, provide a platform for locally produced goods to reach the market, and help increase trade and tourism activities. According to the organizers, the festival also stimulates economic activity at the local level. The foreign tourists who visit during this time will also contribute to earning foreign currency.
Event coordinator, Devika Bhattrai, shared that before the establishment of the street festival, many Nepali citizens used to go abroad to celebrate the English New Year. Now, due to this festival, they are staying in Nepal. She also noted that earlier, foreign tourists used to leave Nepal during the New Year period due to the lack of attractive programs, but now, they are staying in Pokhara to celebrate.
Bhattrai further explained that the continuous celebration of this festival for the past 25 years has not only encouraged Nepalis but also foreigners to celebrate the New Year in Pokhara. According to her, some of the main attractions of the festival will include performances of endangered cultural programs from different ethnic groups, displays of traditional costumes, float parade competitions, and presentations of national and international cuisines.
