The second edition of the 15-day annual Spring Festival at Souq Al Wakrah pulls huge crowds since its opening on Thursday with diverse offerings. Pics: Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
DOHA: Souq Al Wakrah was a site of great festivity and celebration yesterday as people from all over the country came to enjoy a variety of new games, rides and shows for the entire family at the second edition of its annual Spring Festival.
The traditional Qatari souq was bursting with colour and excitement as street performers in ostentation costumes roamed around, children enjoyed amusement rides, visitors played skill games and watch circus and acrobatic shows. The 15-day festival has been generating a lot of buzz since its opening on Thursday with its diverse offerings which include fireworks display.
“Definitely, this year’s festival is bigger than the first edition last year, said Khalid Al Suwaidi, Souq Al Wakrah Manager. Talking to local media Khalid Al Suwaidi said: “Yesterday (Thursday) many people came to watch the fireworks. They were not only from Al Wakrah but also from all over Qatar like Doha, Umm Salal, Al Rayyan and Al Khor.”
He was overwhelmed by the warm response the festival is already getting this early from people from all walks of life.
“Yesterday, the parking area was full, so we coordinated with the police to ensure seamless comfortable experience for our visitors and they are very happy because they come and go without any problems. I think there will be more visitors next week because everyone is talking about the festival,” he said, adding there is also an ambulance at the venue.
As the weather has become pleasant, a number of locations frequented by visitors have launched their own outdoor entertainment extravaganzas including Souq Waqif, Souq Al Wakrah, Katara, Aspire Zone and Mall of Qatar. Each of these venues has lined up events and activities in store for visitors but what makes Souq Al Wakrah unique is the fireworks displays which are staged thrice during the festival’s run.
“Last year around 70,000 people came to witness the fireworks display. This year there will be more because we have three fireworks shows, one of which happened yesterday. Two more fireworks shows will be staged at 7.30pm on January 25 and February 1,” said Al Suwaidi.
This year’s festival is different from the previous edition with the eclectic mix of shows and games brought to the Souq for the first time.
“This year we have the European Circus, which has two shows daily, at 5.20pm and 8pm. We also have the carnival on the seaside and acrobatic show at 5pm featuring a thrilling show by a lady gymnast,” he said.
The European Circus has impressed audiences with world-class acts of highly skilled artists combined with vibrant music, dazzling lights, projections and props, in addition to clown and animal shows.
Street performers in their elaborate costumes including stilt-walkers, jugglers and mascots interacted with visitors who took photos with them.
“We have set up a play area, which has a lot of games like electromechanical games and a variety of all-new skill games. In addition, we also have a big pony yard where families can feed and ride the ponies,” he added.
The various offerings have been brought from different parts of the world including circus from Russia, skill games from Ukraine and carnival from France and the UK.
There is also a seating area as well as a number of food stalls where people can sample a variety of snacks.
Meanwhile, the long line of restaurants and cafes by the beach, which offer a wide array of cuisines, saw brisk business yesterday. A large number of families enjoyed swimming and playing at the beach.
The festival, presented by the Organising Committee of the Private Engineering Office will continue until February 1.
