Folklore Festival cancelled for 2025

The 2025 Folklore Festival is cancelled citing rising costs and safety issues impacting the festival's plans.

"Increasing ticket prices, or increasing Booth Rental costs meaning vendors would have to pass on their additional costs to visitors, and this all would take a heavy toll on attendance numbers," according to a media release.

The release said they considered different avenues to keep the festival going including ending earlier to save money on entertainers but still face other costs including entertainment equipment for performances and security.

The festival also cites city parking prices have gone up, making the free Saturday parking for the festival no longer there. 

Now, the Folklore Festival organizing committee are taking a year off to re-evaluate if they're able to run the festival in 2026.

Alice Chony is with the Zorya Ukrainian Dance Association and said she felt surprised that the festival was cancelled because it is supported by so many cultures and communities. 

"It's a once a year thing where everybody can forget any aggravations they may have…and then just enjoy each other's culture," said Chony.

Chony said she has been performing at the festival for over 20 years, and said there is disappointment within the group about the decision.

She said for older members the festival provided an opportunity for them to travel and display their culture, and also being exposed and experiencing other cultures as well.

As for the younger members, she feels they're losing out on the experience to go up on stage and show off their culture.

"It's such a wonderful experience for them to get up there, strut their stuff, so to speak, show off their own culture, and be able to gain confidence by being on stage and dancing," said Chony.

"There's more people around and there's thousands around, but they get to see other things. They get to realize that there's more than just them in this world. So it's a big loss."

Chony said she is hopeful for a return in 2026, but would like to see support from either municipal, provincial, or federal governments.

"Everybody wants to enjoy multiculturalism and where's the help to do this? And it's all run by volunteers, whether it's people giving food, whether it's the dancers dancing, people helping their little ones get on stage, it's all done by volunteers," said Chony.

"Whether it's the city with the parking issue, whether it's just grants to help this happen, it's not coming. And if there's no money, you can't do it. You can only push so long."