A troupe presenting cultural number.
Thousands of citizens and residents basked in the glow of patriotic fervour and collective solidarity as they took part in the National Day celebration at the Cultural Village Foundation — Katara yesterday.
Katara has become one of the main hubs of this year’s celebrations hosting around 60 events and activities which began on December 12 and would conclude today.
The atmosphere around Katara was festive and nationalistic as children wearing full military fatigues came with their families in droves while many people donned and carried National Day accessories and souvenirs which reminded them of the importance of celebrating the day. Katara was decked in maroon and white and Tamim Al Majd images could be seen around adding to the prevailing ambience of nationalism.
The National Ardah dance at Katara’s waterfront was one of the traditional shows which attracted large number of audiences during their multiple performances.
Many people, especially the young queued up to write their National Day greetings and messages and affix their signatures on the Tamim Al Majd wall.
In the first six days since Katara started its National Day celebration, the Katara Esplanade has seen huge crowds watching the rich lineup of cultural performances, entertainment and fine art exhibitions as well as take part in workshops and other activities.
Yesterday, however, saw the most number of people as it was the actual day to mark the National Day. Many people were seen thronging the special screen to follow the National Day parade. The march past and thrilling aerial exhibitions were all met with countless ovations from the adoring crowd.
The musical fountain show, which sees the interplay of pumps, music and lights in a stunning visual display, was also a big draw.
The vintage car exhibition by Al Mawater also attracted huge crowds of classic car enthusiasts, many of whom took time to have selfies with the limited edition cars on display.
Another crowd-puller was the Arts Village which witnessed many foreigners admiring the country’s traditional art and heritage through the commemorative prints, decoupage shop, sand sculptures, photographic mosaics, a pottery exhibition and workshops and traditional food at the venue.
The food kiosks offering traditional food saw lines of people who wished to sample scrumptious Qatari cuisine.
Visitors to Katara can still catch spectacular shows as celebration concludes today including the first-of-its-kind ‘Drones Show’ and nationalistic cultural show at Katara Amphitheatre. Sixty paratroopers of the Joint Special Forces will also present stunning performances from 3.30pm to 5pm at the Katara waterfront.
