A massive free family festival will be held at Sydney Olympic Park today to mark the once-in-a-decade IUCN World Parks Congress which is host to over 5000 delegates from more than 160 countries.

Known as PlanetFest, the event is expected to entertain thousands of Sydney-siders and international guests with an array of music, food stalls and nature-inspired activities.  

The aim of the event is celebrate Australia’s spectacular natural environment and get young and old involved and inspired to protect it.

Highlights include giant roving dinosaur street theatre and Disney inspired performances, national park rangers and a fire fighting helicopter, an 8m-high rock-climbing wall and an array of native Australian animals with the Taronga Zoomobile.

Kids can experience marine creatures up close in a special touch pool, turn rubbish into amazing treasures with Reverse Garbage workshops and use their own cycle-power to make a smoothie. There will also be Aboriginal rock painting and basket weaving.

The event will feature BioBlitz – a one day nature survey where kids can join scientists to track down the frogs, birds and insects of Sydney Olympic Park and, using a special app, have their findings included on the official record.

As the sun sets, festival goers will be entertained by spectacular world-music by Nicky Bomba and the Gaia Rhythm Show and a film screening of Journey to the South Pacific.

The exhibition halls of the World Parks Congress will throw open their doors to the public for this one day only, featuring the NASA hyper-wall, Oceans Pavilion and magnificent pop-up-park.

Please note, bottled water won't be sold on site, so festival-goers need to bring their own water bottles and fill up for free at the water stations.

PLANETFEST: Sunday 16 November
Cathy Freeman Park, Sydney Olympic Park , 10.30am – 8.30pm
More information: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Whats-On/sydney/planetfest

Media contact: Olivia Greentree 0439 411 774. Photos available on request