Fresh from winning the Golden Star Award of the European Union for their project “From Carpineto Romano to Hamrun One Europe”, thus becoming the first local council in Malta to win this prestigious award, the Hamrun local council has just organized another chocolate Festival in Hamrun on the lines of the first one that was held last year.

The festival included the participation of sculptors, painters, body painters and make-up artists working on their product by using chocolate as the medium. Chocolate works of art were also exhibited. Of particular mention was a 10ft high by 8ft wide chocolate model of the façade of St Gaetan’s Parish Church made up of about ten kilos of Belgian chocolate.

Another big model was that of a dinner-room in real size i.e. 12ft by 8ft which included a roof and floor and furniture with plates, forks, lantern, clock and chairs all made of chocolates. Ice and chocolate were used together in another big model that which was worked up in the form of a 7ft high juke-box. The Maltese national company Benna, which is stationed in Hamrun, participated in the festival and had on sale several products connected with chocolate. There was also a “cake competition” which was held on the main stage while an attractive and unique exhibition was that showing Victorian era chocolate containers.

The programme also included shows of cooking new chocolate products, sweets, pastry, bread, cakes, ice-creams and numerous different types of food prepared with chocolate, demonstrations by teachers from the ITS, on cooking food like ducks and chickens involving chocolate, as well demonstrations by as a famous chocolate expert from Belgium, a show by the re-enactment group In Guardia and exhibitions at the Hobbies Society Club and other places, as well as a stage and a children’s play area.

But on the other hand logistics need to be well overhauled, as the same mistake done last year was again repeated. It was a pity that the large crowd attending was frustrated with the lack of space.

There were not enough streets where people could go into and the principal street leading to the actual festival was engulfed by big stands making the narrow street even narrower. If such stands are placed in a wider area like the square behind the Immaculate Conception Church they would not create such an obstacle as they did at the actual entrance to the festival.

Also Maitland Street should be incorporated in the venue because it gives an alternative route as does the addition of more streets in the area around the club of the Hobbies Society. Maybe it would be a good idea to incorporate the Little Sisters of the Poor Home, the Benna factory and the Dun Frans Camilleri School as well in the venue.

There should be also more lights and decorations in the streets, and trucks and vans pertaining to the owners of the stands should be parked away from the streets and area of the Festival. Stands should also be allocated in more streets and not crowded together. Perhaps it would be a better idea to incorporate also the area in front or around the Immaculate Conception Church if one wants to continue to hold this particular festival in this area.

■ Joe C. Cordina

Hamrun