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By Tedla Desta - Capital
21 August, 2007
The Grand Festival of Taste of Addis - Africa Festival (TAAAF) which was to take place from September 11 to19 at Meskel Square has been canceled, Capital learnt.
It was disclosed that the event scheduled and approved by the Addis Ababa Millennium Secretariat to be held at Meskel Square was cancelled by the same government body for reasons related to security.
Similarly, Mekonen Beyene, CEO and founder of TAAAF, said to Capital that they are working to hold the event from 31 December to January 7, 2007/08. “We would like to express our distress and apologize for any inconvenience that may be caused due to the unforeseen occurrence that is beyond our capacity and control. We would also like once again to invite the participants to take part in the event that will be held at the end of December,” TAAAF said in its press release.
Taste of Addis - Africa Festival is a large-scale event modeled after Taste of Chicago, an annual festival that brings together more than 3 million people from all over the world. For over two decades, the Taste of Chicago has served as a vehicle for generating tax-revenues of major significance. Similarly, TAAAF was preplanned to serve as an epicenter to attract thousands of Ethiopians,
including family members in the Diaspora and students on their summer break. “There is, however, a strong likelihood that the more than 20-30 foreign food and entertainment establishments that were to take part in the event remain barely known to many Addis-Ababans.
The events were planned to include pot luck of national foods, fire works, children’s play ground and diaspora market place. At the same time it was planned to have an African market place where various nations can represent their culture and food. Health awareness, African music and drama were also to feature in those 8 days.
Mekonen told Capital that he spent 1.5 million birr in preparation of the event. He said that he has been discouraged by the decision taken.