Communities out in full force at this year’s Folklorama 40 pavilions in 2023, up from 24 in 2022 By: Jen Zoratti Posted: 5:02 PM CDT Friday, Aug. 4, 2023

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This article was published 04/08/2023 (810 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans will be able to see more of the world at this year’s Folklorama.

The 52nd edition of the long-running multicultural festival will feature 40 pavilions over its two-week run from Aug. 6 to 19, up from 24 pavilions in 2022.

Last year’s Folklorama was the first in-person festival after pandemic restrictions forced the organization to pivot to a virtual format in 2021 and cancel completely in 2020.

“Not all of the communities were ready to come back last year,” says Folklorama executive director Teresa Cotroneo, adding that when preparations began months out from the festival things were still pretty uncertain.

“COVID regulations were all over the place still and it was a bit more challenging, but this year they’ve come back in full force and we’re super excited about it.”

No new pavilions are on the slate for 2023, but Week 2 will see the return of the Cuban Pavilion, which hasn’t been on the Folklorama itinerary since 2017.

“They are usually a crowd favourite, for sure,” Cotroneo says. “Having any (pavilion) return after a brief hiatus is always exciting to see.”

And there appears to be a renewed appetite for the festival overall. Ninety-four per cent of Folklorama’s VIP tours are already sold out and spots for privately organized group tours have also been completely snapped up, Cotroneo says. Close to 140 tours will be going out over the next two weeks.

The draw is the ability to connect and participate in a unique cultural exchange, Cotroneo says.

“For as much adversity as there is in our community, Folklorama really brings everybody together. And people have a lot of pride in being able to share their communities and their cultures and their traditions. To welcome people into a pavilion is like welcoming them into their own home,” she says.

“People want to learn and they want to be able to learn in a creative and immersive way. They want to be able to share in not just the entertainment, but the cultural experience and the educational piece as well.”

There has been an average attrition of volunteers, though some people discovered through the pandemic that they liked having the summer off, Cotroneo says.

Folklorama relies on more than 8,000 volunteers who, last year, put in 300,000 volunteer hours.

“We wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the volunteers and their dedication to sharing their culture and heritage with us,” she says. “There’s not a lot of places in the world where people take a vacation from their jobs so that they can volunteer for seven days straight.”

Attending Folklorama is a way to directly support cultural organizations. Half of all admissions goes back to Folklorama; the rest, along with revenue generated in the pavilion — such as food and beverage sales, souvenirs and sponsorships — is returned to the community.

“For as much adversity as there is in our community, Folklorama really brings everybody together.”–Teresa Cotroneo

“So when you are attending a pavilion, you are supporting the traditions and the maintenance of the culture and the language programs and the dance and everything else that happens on a year-round basis,” Cotroneo says.

“It’s a really important event for our city, not just for Folklorama, but for each individual cultural organization to maintain their programming throughout the year.”

For more information, including tickets and showtimes, visit folklorama.ca.

jen.zoratti@winnipegfreepress.com