THUNDER BAY - The city’s most colorful event of the year took attendees on a tour around the world.
The 43rd annual Folklore Festival showcased Thunder Bay’s diverse cultural heritage at Fort William Gardens with an array of international foods, entertainment and shop-the-world booths this past weekend.
Folklore Festival’s sponsorship chairwoman Jeanetty Jumah said the turnout has been astonishing this year, organizers are expecting the numbers to be well over 13,000 for the two-day event.
“It’s been absolutely amazing,” Jumah said. “The cash machine ran out money and we were running low on beer, it’s been a fantastic turnout.”
During the world tour of nations more than 45 different groups performed on the main stage, where culture and traditions where brought to life through music and dance.
For the first time in festival history the event featured 19 different international food booths including Filipino shiskababs, Ethiopian foods and the Italian Cultural Centre.
“The food court was never empty,” Jumah said. “People would sit down, buy food, take the food home, people were leaving with carts of food and yet the tables were all full.”
Displays circled the main stage allowing visitors to shop the world and see the different costumes, artifacts, and visual arts.
Jumah explained the importance of the festival is allowing the city to see the different cultures that has made Canada such a diverse nation.
“When you come to Folklore Festival you see them all on stage, you see people respecting each other and enjoying their cultures,” Jumah said.
“When you ask me why Canada is a great land it’s because we have all the richness and the cultures that have come to Canada that have been in Canada and they make this the greatest land on earth.”