Padawan Discovery Festival Showcases Nature, Culture, Local Opportunities

KUCHING (Oct 2): The inaugural Padawan Discovery Festival 2026 is bringing together nature, culture, tourism, communities and local businesses in an effort to showcase Padawan as a destination for visitors and investment.

Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Tan Kai said the five-day festival, launched today at Ang Cheng Ho Quarry Multipurpose Hall, was aimed at encouraging visitors to explore Padawan while creating opportunities for local communities and businesses.

“The idea behind the Padawan Discovery Festival is simple. We want people to come and discover Padawan and explore the opportunities that Padawan has to offer,” he said during the opening ceremony.

Tan said Padawan was blessed with natural landscapes, rivers, forests and villages, as well as communities with rich cultural traditions and distinctive ways of life.

He said the area was also home to local entrepreneurs, food producers, tourism operators, artisans and community-based businesses that contributed to the local economy.

The festival therefore provided an opportunity to bring these strengths together and introduce Padawan to a wider audience, while encouraging visitors to experience the area, engage with its communities and discover its unique attractions, he said.

A key component of the festival is the Sarawak Trade Fair 2026, held from Oct 2 to 4 at the same venue and organised by the Sarawak Manufacturers’ Association.

The trade fair features businesses, entrepreneurs and exhibitors showcasing their products, services and capabilities, including six exhibitors from MPP’s Friendship Cities of Yantai and Huangshi in China.

Tan said their participation would create opportunities for business engagement, cultural exchange, people-to-people connections and potential future cooperation.

He said local entrepreneurs and businesses could use the platform to meet international exhibitors, exchange ideas, explore new markets and develop potential partnerships.

Another major attraction is the Padawan Raft Safari in Upper Padawan.

The Padawan Raft Safari Fun Ride will be held tomorrow (Oct 3) along Sungai Sarawak Kiri, while the Fiesta Padawan Raft Safari at Kampung Git will begin at 10am.

The fiesta will highlight the heritage of the six Bidayuh tribes and feature participation by Bidayuh Ring Ladies, cultural performances, a music festival, Jualan Rahmah Madani, vendors and community booths.

The long-running Padawan Raft Safari signature competition will also return on Oct 4 after more than two decades.

Tan said the festival demonstrated the importance of collaboration among the government, businesses, tourism operators, community organisations and local residents in developing Padawan.

He said sustained cooperation among the Sarawak Government, government agencies, businesses, tourism operators, community leaders, local organisations and the people of Padawan was essential to creating a vibrant and sustainable community.

“The Padawan Discovery Festival itself is an excellent example of this cooperation,” he said.

The festival also features Padawan Exploration Tours, Local Flavours & Discoveries, a Music Festival, Bidayuh Cultural Performance Showcase and various community activities.

An MPP assessment payment counter has also been set up at the venue for members of the public to pay their assessment rates.

The post Padawan Discovery Festival showcases nature, culture, local opportunities appeared first on Borneo Post Online.