Lautoka Puts On Eight

Days Of Fun And Games

The second Lautoka Sugar Festival, planned to rival Suva’s ighly successful Hibiscus Festival, gave the people of the Great forth-West eight days of fun and games from October 1.

also gladdened the hearts of its jrganisers, who have learned from i’s experience of running festivals six years. ist as Suva has a Miss Hibiscus :est as the major event, so Lau l has a Miss Sugar contest, he winner was a charming 20- -old Fijian hotel receptionist, ise Nasilasila, whose big prize an air trip to Honolulu for a k as the guest of Canadian Pacific ines. She also won other prizes th about £5OO.

Vliss Hibiscus, 1962, won a trip md Australia as the guest of American Airways and Ansett- A.) anking next to the Miss Sugar ;est was a picturesque procession loats from Shirley Park through main streets of Lautoka to Chur l Park where a crowd estimated 12,000 had gathered. The floats ; a credit to their sponsors, and cative of hard work and ingenuity, carried Miss Sugar aspirants, onically, the best float was judged be that of South Pacific Sugar is Ltd., who had given the prize the best. ut SPSM announced that it would id down in favour of the next —a model village entered by the toka Fijian community.

The organisers provided almost non-stop entertainment. There were free film shows, Fijian, Indian, Chinese, European and Rotuman nights, fireworks displays, woodchop ping, cycling, boxing and wrestling contests, Rugby, soccer and hockey matches, and a baby show. All 80 entrants in the baby show received a prize.

On the more serious side, there was a trade exhibition, a competition for the best-dressed window, tours of the Lautoka sugar mill and church services.

The only pity about the festival was that it came so close after the Suva festival. As Lautoka has now laid claim to Cession Day (October 10) for one of its festival dates, it would appear that Suva should shift the date of the Hibiscus Festival to another month.

This year the Fiji Show followed hard on the heels of the Lautoka festival, which meant three weeks of heavy going for the various or ganisers.

From next year, the show will be held in July. This should give the Hibiscus Festival organisers a little more room for manoeuvre in picking dates which will not clash with other attractions.

Prizewinner: At

Fiji's second Show since the war, which was held in October, the Navuso Agri cultural School was awarded prizes for the grand champion bull of all breeds and for the best all round cow. The bull was a Friesian, and the cow, a Jersey.

The prizewinning cow is shown here with its handlers.

Photo: S. A. Whippy.

CHAMPION. Caroline Topp, 15, with Shawn, who won 12 prizes in the ring events at the Fiji Show. The prizes comprised the championship for the best hunter, six firsts, three seconds and two thirds. Eighteen months ago Shawn was a sickly looking 18-month old pony.—Photo: S. A. Whippy.