IT has become Queensland's largest community event but Festival Cairns remains firmly grounded in the local community.

Launching this year’s festival yesterday, operations manager Narell Black said it was "a festival of the people"

"You need to love where you live," Ms Black said.

"It really is a tropical paradise that has more strings to its bow than just its natural attractions.

"This really is a special event."

Now in its seventh year as Festival Cairns, the 25-day extravaganza is packed with more than 40 events encompassing art, music, culture, entertainment and sport.

It includes the Cairns Amateurs racing carnival’s 50th anniversary celebrations and favourites such as the Festival of Lights street parade, Carnival on Collins, Food, Wine and All That Jazz and the Queensland Cup
Basketball competition.

A new addition organisers expect to be a big drawcard is the Busking Festival which incorporates an amateur competition and ends with a three-day showcase of five international performers from across the globe.

"The aim of this event is to bring the city streets alive," Ms Black said.

"We hope it will sow the seed to become a real iconic event in the festival.

"Locals and visitors will feast on a program of live entertainment on the Esplanade and in City Place."

Mayor Val Schier officially launched the festival yesterday and described it as a marvellous tribute to the people of the city, from its early beginnings when it was known as Fun in the Sun, the Reef Festival and now Festival Cairns.

"We know how important it is that communities get the opportunity to really come together and celebrate," Ms Schier said.

"It’s a growing economy from those early days.

"We’ve got the reef and rainforest on our doorstep and it’s also an enormous economic boost to this region."

Ms Black said the festival showcased a huge amount of free and family orientated activities, not just high profile ticketed events.

"From kids and families to music and adult entertainment we have the Tanks (Art Centre) to thank for a performing arts feast of some 11 high-calibre events," she said.

The festival ends on September 20.

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