SINGAPORE - Hawkers and their roving pushcarts used to line the grounds of the National Museum in the 1960s, selling steaming hot bowls of noodles and serving up plates of Indian rojak.

This scene will be recreated at the Stamford Road museum for the upcoming Singapore HeritageFest.

Organiser, the National Heritage Board (NHB), has arranged for 15 stalls run by the next-generation of Singapore hawkers to sell local favourites, including char kway teow, laksa, handmade muah chee and Nonya cuisine on the weekend of April 29 and 30 from 6pm to 10pm.

National Museum director Angelita Teo said the aim was to reproduce the vibrant street hawker scene.

She added: "The museum was a popular education and recreation venue for families and schoolchildren back in the 1960s."

The festival is slated to run across three weekends from April 29 to May 15. It initially started with temporary exhibitions in malls. It has since evolved to take place across different parts of Singapore.

For instance, Bukit Pasoh, which is lined with Chinese clans and clubs such as the Gan Clan, Siong Leng Musical Association and Ee Hoe Hean Club, will be pedestrianised for the first time, alongside neighbouring street Keong Saik.

The various organisations there will be taking their culture and crafts to the streets with performances.

Other activities include a new heritage trail in Bedok.

Visitors will also be able to take a boat into Pulau Ubin to watch the premiere of a NHB commissioned Royston Tan documentary about the island.

A total of 120 organisations and community partners are involved in the festival this year, up from 80 the year before. Last year, the festival attracted 1.6 million visitors.

The public can start signing up for these activities on Friday (April 22) at www.heritagefest.sg.