40 multicultural pavilions to be featured at Folklorama starting Sunday

Get ready to put on your stretchy pants and dancing shoes, Manitoba.

Folklorama, which bills itself as the longest-running multicultural festival festival in the world, kicks off on Sunday with 40 pavilions around Winnipeg, complete with international foods, music and dance.

The event is one Manitobans should be proud of, says Folklorama's director of marketing, communications and engagement.

"It's such a fantastic model that you don't see in other cities, seeing each other celebrate each other," Tanya Williams said in a Wednesday interview.

The two-week festival runs until Saturday, Aug. 19, with 20 pavilions open during the first week and the other 20 open during the second.

Festival-goers can look forward to the return of the Cuba pavilion after a six-year hiatus.

"It feels great to be back in the Folklorama family and being part of this amazing event," said Harold Rancano, the head of entertainment for the pavilion, in a Wednesday interview. 

"I've been a part of it since I came to Canada in 2005."

The last Cuba pavilion was in 2017. Organizers intended to just take a two-year break, but then the pandemic hit.

Rancano says he's looking forward to getting back up on the pavilion stage.

"I'm really excited to dance again for the Cuba pavilion and represent the culture," he said.

The pavilion will run in the second week of Folklorama at the Heather Curling Club on Youville Street.

Some pavilions have high-profile international guests taking the stage at their locations.

The Romanian pavilion is celebrating its 20th consecutive year with Folklorama by bringing in 10 dancers, a four-piece orchestra and a soloist from the University of Cluj to perform, said Isabela Giubega, the pavilion's spokesperson.

"We're just really happy that they're able to come celebrate our 20th year with us," she said.

"Romania is not a really well-known country, so we just like to showcase that we're more than just Dracula and cabbage rolls — we have such a rich and diverse history and culture."

The Romanian pavilion is open during the second week of Folklorama at the Bronx Community Centre on Henderson Highway.

Williams says the El Salvador pavilion is also bringing in the Ballet Folklórico Nacional from that country to perform.

New this year is what the festival is calling the "sweet tooth tour," which will take people to three different venues to sample desserts.

"If you love having dessert all night long, it's a great tour to take," said Williams.

She suggests anyone who wants to visit multiple pavilions in one day check out the Folklorama Travel Guide.

Canadian citizenship ceremony at Winnipeg's Folklorama kickoff

1 year ago

Duration 2:02

As the city gets set to explore Folklorama with the food, music, culture of 40 different countries. Families from some of those countries are now calling Canada home. We bring you more from the opening citizenship event at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain .