“MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival kicks off over two exciting weekends in August Magical mark collection offers ultimate grand lucky

MACAU, August 23 - Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) and co-organised and supported by various entities, the 2^nd Macao International Children’s Arts Festival will present the grand finale “MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival, which will kick off at the CCM Plaza over two consecutive weekends starting today. The popular outdoor “Water Fun Party” and “Foam Party” which were held last year, will make a return, offering a series of exciting events for both residents and visitors to enjoy the fantastic summer time altogether.

On 23 August, guests will visit the booths and activity facilities on site, including the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Vice Presidents of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng; the Acting Department Head of the Cultural and Recreational Affairs and Civic Education Department of the Municipal Affairs Bureau, Pong Sio Wan; the Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Affairs of Venetian Macau Limited, Catherine Kong; the Director of Community Relations of MGM, Mina Siew; the President of the City of Dreams Branch of Bank of China (Macau), Chan Wai Pan; the Group Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Macau Limited, Sonia Vong; and the Head of the Department of Performing Arts Development of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Kuok Mio U. They will also experience the outdoor splash area and the lively atmosphere.

The “MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Sands China Limited, features this year the Festival’s mascot MICAF and its friends, turning the Plaza into a fantastic summer wonderland with 10-metre-high large inflatable installations, splash sprinklers and special containers for check-in. Adults and children are welcome to enjoy and have fun in the summer. In addition to the popular “Water Fun Party” and “Foam Party” which were held last year, a food zone will be set up, along with Kids’ Dress up Corner, Backstage Adventure, handcraft workshops and game stalls. There are also interactive performances such as Stilt Walking Master, Kids’ Street Dance, Unicycle Acrobatic, Freestyle Rope Skipping, Belly Dance, Cheerleading Performance, Clowning Time and Magic Fun. Besides, the “Talent Show” is especially added to allow children to showcase their talent performances. The outdoor screenings will feature a range of local and international amination shorts themed around cherishing life, innocence and fantasy worlds. What’s more, at 18pm on 30 and 31 August, Sands China Limited will host two outdoor performances presented by the Macau Band Directors Association: the “Little Musicians” - Rising Stars Wind Instrument Concert and the “Setting Sail on Dreams” - Disney Classic Concert. During these two days, the “Book for Book” activity will invite the public to bring books for exchange. The Festival’s mascot MICAF, joined by the mascot of Macao Government Tourism Office, Mak Mak, and the two National Games mascots, Xiyangyang and Lerongrong, will take turns to make special appearances to meet the children. Admission to the “MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival is free. Registration for the “Talent Show”, “Backstage Adventure”, “Water Fun Party” and “Foam Party” will open at 12pm on 27 August via the Macao International Children’s Arts Festival website (www.icm.gov.mo/micaf). A limited number of walk-in quotas is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition, the “MICAF, MICAF, Where Are You?” Magical Mark Collection Activity is now taking place. Adults and children can obtain a magic mark collection card at the reception of the Macao Cultural Centre during opening hours on or before 31 August. By completing the designated tasks, participants will have the opportunity to redeem limited edition souvenirs after they have visitedthe Macau Cultural Centre Lobby and Plaza, Children’s Fun Book House and •ART Space. Also,the “Child Fun Upgrade Magic” will be particularly held during the “MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival. Participants will be eligible to enter the Ultimate Grand Luckyafter completing the designated tasks. Winning prizes include round-trip economy class tickets sponsored by the Air Macau and MOP 500 electronic consumption voucher sponsored by the Bank of China. This draw will be conducted publicly at 9pm on 31 August during the “MICAF Fun Day”. The winner announcements will be posted on the Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau Facebook page “IC Art” afterwards.