The Valletta Green Festival will take place between May 7 and 11, spanning City Gate and St George’s Square, the Valletta Cultural Agency said on Thursday.
This year’s infiorata, designed by artist Zack Ritchie will have the theme of ‘Zero Pollution’ and feature a colourful floral turtle.
Details were announced during the inauguration of a roof garden at the Valletta Design Cluster by culture minister Jose' Herrera.
The Valletta Design Cluster, in lower Valletta near the Auberge de Baviere, was itself inaugurated recently.
The agency said the garden introduces a new green lung in this part of the city, providing a new public space, freely accessible to all residents and visitors.
"The garden takes advantage of the low-lying nature of the Old Abattoir building on which it is situated and brings to fruition a long process of transformation centred around the needs of residents and future users of the Valletta Design Cluster," it said.
Meanwhile, Valletta visitors will be welcomed during the Green Festival by a temporary garden inspired by the formal gardens of the past at Freedom Square, in front of Parliament, from May 3. Entrusted to the Garland Company, this City Gate Garden installation has been constructed using salvaged wood.
Indigenous trees including Pine, Myrtle and Bay Leaf will decorate De Valette Square. There will also be Cypress trees along Republic Street, Republic Square and St George’s Square and lemon and orange trees in Great Siege Square.
As part of the festival the Environmental and Resources Authority will be producing a beehive made with a marine wood structure in St George’s Square. The aim of the installation is to stress the importance of pollination for biodiversity and how pollution impacts this process.
A ‘Water be the Change’ and PARKS information points in St George’s Square, will provide visitors with information while personnel will be able to answer any questions on protecting the environment and ways to reduce unnecessary water consumption and pollution.
This year’s edition of the Kite Festival, a collaboration between the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, the China Cultural Centre and the Valletta Cultural Agency, will be held on May 8 at 10am, via ZOOM. This year’s event will take place in the form of an online workshop, with people, in particularly children, being invited to participate as Kite Master Guo Hongli will share his tips, tricks and kite-making techniques on how to build the perfect kite.
Participants are invited to prepare the materials required beforehand (which may be found on the FB event page) to be able to follow along.