The festival which is in its third year was kicked off with a series of activities including an  exhibition by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies of their tourism, culture and creative arts potential at the National Theatre on Thursday, October 6.

There was a float through some principal streets of Accra on Friday, which climaxed in a beauty Pageant dubbed, Miss Homofest at the National Theatre.

The grand durbar on Saturday saw an impressive turnout of chiefs with their retinues including queen mothers, wulomei, priest and priestesses from the various paramountcies and traditional councils in the Greater Accra Region, as well as ministers and Members of Parliament, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and members of the various assemblies.

Speaking at the durbar, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, described Homofest as one of the vehicles for deepening domestic tourism as well as a vehicle to boost international tourism using the country’s rich and diverse culture and the creative talents of the people of Ghana.

“In Ghana, cultural diversity flourishes within a framework of democratic pluralism, tolerance and mutual respect among people of various cultures. The celebration of Homofest by showcasing Ga-Dambge diverse culture and heritage is a festival of ideas and cultural exchange,” she said.

She described the Homofest as a unique festival of the reconstruction of the history of the Ga-Damgbes which has been forgotten by younger generations who are obsessed with foreign cultures and values.

“Using Homofest as a cultural tool, the Ministry and its partners have organised a series of activities to inculcate into the youth and communities our traditional values. Some of the activities include a colloquium which choreographed the traditional values and beliefs, food competitions (Kpatashie) to showcase the preparation and presentation of food and beverages of the indigenous ethnic groups, traditional dance and a knowledge-based pageant dubbed Miss Homofest.”

“These activities and many more typify the rich cultural heritage of the people of Ga-Damgbe. As I speak, Homofest has become a domestic and international tourism and cultural product being advertised on the global electronic and print media landscape,” she added.