PUBLISHED ONJuly 12, 2024 9:04 AMByClaudia TanInstead of just having a family get-together this National Day, Tampines resident Shahid will also be expecting around 20 guests at his home on Aug 10, as part of the National Day heartland celebrations.
The 38-year-old is one of the 59 hosts who will be opening their homes to residents of the North East District, where they will watch a livestream of the festivities at the open field next to Waterway Point in Punggol.
Shahid lives in a four-room flat with his wife and three children.
"We're probably going to have potluck and maybe organise some games for the children," he told AsiaOne on Friday (July 12).
"This is the first time I'm opening my house to my neighbours and friends, and I think it's a good opportunity to celebrate our bond as a community."
The goal of having a watch party is to bring back the kampung spirit, like how people used to gather at community clubs (CCs) to watch the National Day Parade (NDP) together, said a spokesperson from the People's Association (PA), which is organising the heartland celebrations in partnership with the NDP executive committee.
The event at Punggol, with the theme 'One Home' will feature art exhibits and performances by members of the special needs community.
It is one of five heartland celebrations that will be taking place across the island on Aug 10 from 4pm to 9pm. The other four events, each with different themes, will be held in Yishun, Bishan, Paya Lebar and Buona Vista.
About 160,000 people are expected to turn up for the celebrations, which involve some 2,600 PA volunteers.
Besides the unique programmes from each district, attendees can also catch static displays by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Singapore Police Force.
For the SAF display, each site will have eight to nine vehicles. There will also be a SAF camouflage booth where members of the public can try on camo cream.
Attendees can also look forward to firework displays.
"Every year, we know that many Singaporeans want to celebrate National Day... But we will not be able to accommodate all Singaporeans at Marina Bay [and the Padang] on Aug 9," said Colonel Edwin Chua, co-chairman of the heartland celebrations.
"The purpose of these heartland celebrations is to extend our celebrations to the heartlands, which are places that are closer to the homes of Singaporeans."
Some elements from this year's NDP will also be brought to the heartland, such as the six floating mascots, as well as some of the props and costumes from the show.
Singaporeans and permanent residents can collect tickets to the National Day Heartland Celebrations for their district at the nearest CC from Friday (July 12).
A total of 100,000 tickets will be given out on a first-come-first-serve basis. Each person can collect up to two tickets. Each ticket also comes with a complimentary NDP pack.
Those who do not have tickets can still attend the events, as long as space permits.
claudiatan@asiaone.com
