Melbourne is gearing up for its inaugural Colour The World Purple: Ube Festival in Melbourne, which is set to transform the Queen Victoria Market into a vibrant showcase of Filipino culture on Sunday, 11 February, from 10 am to 8 pm. This free event will highlight Filipino food and culture, featuring food and non-food stalls and non-stop entertainment.
This event is a celebration and a strategic move by the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne to highlight ube, a distinctly Filipino ingredient, amid its rising global popularity. The festival aims to underscore the deep cultural and historical ties Ube has with the Filipino people amidst its increasing availability and popularity in Melbourne and beyond.
Recent years have seen an uptick in the global promotion of ube, with efforts including notable events like the Ube Festival organised by the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt in 2022. Melbourne’s embrace of ube reflects these wider trends, with the city’s diverse culinary scene welcoming the ingredient in various forms, from frozen imports conforming to Australia’s strict SPS policies to locally sourced supplies. This growing trend underlines the need to reinforce ube’s Filipino roots, a challenge the festival eagerly accepts.
Attendees can look forward to a unique dining experience at the Chef’s Long Table, hosted by Uling: The Charcoal Project. “Around the World with Ube” is a five-course degustation menu meticulously crafted by chefs Miguel Vargas and Jose Miguel Lontoc, celebrating the versatility of ube in various dishes. There will be three sittings at 11:30 AM, 2:30 PM, and 5:30 PM, with only 120 seats available.
The festival excitement continues with Ube Contests, including the Ube Cake Contest, Savoury Dish Contest, and Halo-Halo Eating Contest, specifically for children aged 10-14, offering fun for the whole family.
This event, conceptualised by the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne, enjoys the support of Australian-Filipino Community Services, the Filipino Chefs Association of Victoria Inc., EMG Cargo Services, Direct Driving School, and Pinoys in Melbourne, with The Philippine Times as a media partner, showcasing the strong community spirit and collaboration.
For further details, interested parties can contact Ed Guevarra on 0419 209 738.
To buy your tickets for the Chef’s Long Table, book here.
