Mayor of Logan announced Buddha Birth Day Festival as inaugural Signature Event of Logan

During the 2024 Buddha Birthday Festival's Official Ceremony, newly appointed Mayor Jon Raven declared a significant announcement for Logan City, designating the annual Buddha Birthday Festival as Logan's premier Signature Event. Mayor Raven commended the festival's efforts since its inception in 1991, emphasizing its role in promoting peace and harmony within the community and showcasing Logan positively.

The Buddha Birth Day Festival, organised by the Fo Guang Shan Chung Tian Temple, Buddha’s Light International Association of Queensland, and the Chung Tian Chinese School, the festival commenced modestly in a small venue near the temple with just 70 attendees. By 1993, it had relocated to the temple grounds after the completion of initial construction stages. Subsequently, at the invitation of then Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley, the festival moved to the Cultural Forecourt in South Bank Parklands in 1997, attracting 5,000 visitors for a half-day event.

Over the ensuing 22 years, the festival burgeoned into not only the longest-running but also the largest event in the Parklands, drawing an annual attendance of 200,000 people. It expanded into a three-day affair with activities spanning 14 locations across the South Bank precinct and Brisbane River. Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival temporarily returned to its temple roots, adapting first as an online event and later as two COVID Safe Events.

Mayor Raven highlighted that in the previous year, over 37,000 individuals relished their Buddha Birthday Festival experience, underscoring its significance as a major cultural event. This recognition, he argued, justified its status as one of the city's foremost annual events. Notably, in 2010, when held in the South Bank Parklands, the festival was designated one of Brisbane's Six Signature Events.

Later at the Official Ceremony, Lady Mayoress Nina Schrinner speaking after receiving a charity donation from the temple’s Loving Care Group to the Lord Mayors Charitable Trust, shared that: “we on behalf of the Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner gratefully and also graciously submit to the fact that this is now a Signature Event of Logan and we congratulate you. Surely it is the jewel in the crown”

Now established as a Signature Event of Logan, the Buddha Birthday Festival prides itself on its accessibility, environmental sustainability, and free admission, making it a welcoming and inclusive celebration for all.

Reference: https://livinginlogan.com.au/logan-city-news/mayor-raven-speaks-at-signature-event-of-logan/