SINGAPORE - The Marina Barrage will celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend with a carnival that it has been billed as its "biggest ever".
National water agency PUB said on Monday (Oct 22) that more than 100 stalls will be set up at the carnival, which will be held from Friday to Sunday.
The activities that visitors can enjoy include a 30-minute river cruise, fireworks, movie screenings and live music performances.
PUB said that the carnival is a grand finale to a year-long celebration of the barrage's decade of operation. The barrage was opened in October 2008 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and has hosted more than 16 million visitors since.
The booths at the carnival will include street food stalls, lifestyle booths, art and craft booths and upcycling booths. Carnival games, inflatable bouncers and food trucks will also be available.
River cruises that will educate visitors about the Marina Barrage and the Marina Reservoir will be available on a first come, first served basis between 3pm and 9pm on Saturday and Sunday. Up to 3,600 visitors will get to enjoy the cruises, which will take participants along the Marina waters to the Marina Bay floating platform and back.
In addition, two movie screenings will be held on the Green Roof of the Marina Barrage during the carnival.
Marvel blockbuster Black Panther will be shown on Friday between 10.15pm and midnight, while Disney-Pixar animated flick Coco will screen on Saturday, between 9.15pm and midnight.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, will join in the festivities on Saturday.
PUB said the Marina Barrage has played an instrumental role in alleviating floods in low-lying city areas. It has also helped to strengthen Singapore's water supply by keeping seawater out of the Marina Reservoir catchment.
Beyond these functions, it has evolved into a recreational and lifestyle space over the past decade, PUB added.
The agency's chief executive Ng Joo Hee said: "While we enjoy and have fun at this carnival bonanza, let us not forget the genesis of the barrage and the greater mission it serves in showcasing urban water sustainability."
