A scaled-up third edition of the Hometown Market Carnival will return to Victoria Park next month, bringing with it delicacies and interactive events, such as emerging technology demonstrations and sports experiences, to Hong Kong residents.

The event, which runs from June 1 to 5, is jointly hosted by 30 hometown associations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, including the Hong Kong Federation of Liaoning Associations and the Federation of Hong Kong Jilin Associations – two new co-organizers this year.

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The carnival will include food, culture, sport, innovation and technology, said the organizing committee at a press conference on Monday.

To attract more young people to the event and support the upcoming 15th National Games in November, the carnival will feature two special sections – a technology showcase zone and an interactive sports experiences zone.

Visitors to the tech zone can try out wellness experiences applied with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, play virtual reality (VR) games, and enjoy robot demonstrations. Meanwhile, more than 30 booths will be set up in the sports zone offering experiences and tutorials in sports such as soccer, baseball, pickleball and Tai Chi.

The organizing committee added that the carnival will continue to showcase a variety of specialties from provinces and autonomous regions across the country, featuring approximately 300 vendors. The popular hot-food street will also return, with 30 stalls serving delicacies and drinks such as Sichuan bo bo chicken, Shaanxi roujiamo, Xinjiang lamb skewers, and Tsingtao beer.

In addition, the organizer has invited folk artists from across the country to present nearly 200 cultural shows during the five-day carnival. Visitors can enjoy traditional performances such as Inner Mongolia’s prairie pastoral songs, Sichuan’s face-changing, and Northeast China’s yangge dance.

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“We hope to provide Hong Kong residents with a platform through this carnival for an in-depth understanding of their hometown cultures and the development of the motherland, while also conveying the spirit of patriotism, love for hometown, and love for Hong Kong,” said Sze Ching-lau, deputy director of the organizing committee and chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations.