Dazzling dragons: Children waving streamers at the Chingay procession at Padang MBSP Bagan Luar, Butterworth. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Penang is expected to end 2023 with a bang as several eye-catching events are being planned this weekend for local and foreign visitors before we welcome the New Year.
On Saturday, the public can enjoy a dazzling fireworks show during the climax of the Chingay Festival at Lebuh Light.
State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the fireworks display would be held at 11pm.
“We have the Chingay Festival celebration on Saturday and we expect a high crowd volume as it is both the weekend and school holidays,” he said.
There will be 45 teams participating in this George Town edition of the Chingay Festival and the parade will start from Padang Brown at 7pm.
Wong said despite the state not hosting any countdown events for the New Year, several places are privately organising their own spaces for people to get together and celebrate.
Among them are in Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon Mall, Straits Quay, The Top, Fort Cornwallis, Hard Rock Hotel, as well as in Auto City Juru.
It is understood that these places would include their respective fireworks display at midnight.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow’s political secretary Lau Keng Ee said the state would not prohibit private organisations from hosting countdown events to usher in the New Year.
Other events lined up on Sunday are the Absolut Food Fest featuring more than 200 stalls at the state stadium in Batu Kawan, from noon to midnight and there is also an ongoing food carnival with 32 stalls at the Queens Waterfront in Bayan Lepas until Jan 1.
The state had also hosted the 13th Seberang Prai Chingay Festival in Butterworth last Saturday, which saw the parade starting from Dewan Dato’ Haji Ahmad Badawi in Bagan Luar and ending at the Tow Boo Kong Temple in Jalan Raja Uda.
