Mid West Youth Fest a raging success in inaugural year, kids and teens flock to enjoy Youth Week activities

Geraldton kids were treated on to the inaugural Mid West Youth Fest on Saturday to commemorate the start of WA’s Youth Week. Hosted by the City of Greater Geraldton, the youth fest was a hit with the city’s kids and teens, attracting a large and lively crowd to the Geraldton Youth Centre. Participants were engaged in an array of activities including live music, an Infinity Skate skateboarding clinic and cultural face painting. There were various stalls, including handmade pipe cleaner flowers, knitted beanies and trinkets. Kids also enjoyed a silent disco, gaming, rounds of card games and buckets of hot chips from food trucks. The city said the fest was themed “Strength in our Stories” and was focused on showcasing the creativity of young people, encouraging them to try new things, express themselves and build social connections. A highlight of the day was an open mic session, inviting people up to the stage to perform a song of their choice for everyone gathered. The newly-opened Short Stay Accommodation in Geraldton also had a stall at the fest, providing racks of free clothes to those in need. Stall volunteer Sammy Carter said the clothes stand was a way of providing people with essential items. “All clothes here are brand new with tags and they’re free. If a young person is in need of a fresh set of clean clothes, they can come and choose here,” she said. The afternoon festivities were buzzing with energy and accompanied by music from local artist, Layung Sekur Wulan. Mayor Jerry Clune was also spotted at the fest and said it was a fantastic event with an even better turnout. “Geraldton Youth Centre has gone from strength to strength since we opened the doors last year and there is no better venue to host this celebration of our young people,” he said. “I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Department of Communities for supporting this event.”