Snow or no, Festival du Voyageur set to go

St. Boniface

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This article was published 14/02/2024 (620 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mother Nature may be a law unto herself, but she won’t get the better of the hardworking, creative folks at Festival du Voyageur.

Owing to this winter’s unseasonably warm winter, and very little snow on the ground, the landscape at Voyageur Park (866 Rue St. Joseph) is likely to look a bit different during the 55th edition of St. Boniface’s iconic winter festival, which runs from Feb. 16 to 25.

Breanne Lavallée-Heckert, in her first year as executive director of FDV, said her team continues to work hard to prepare for this year’s event, and will pivot its approach as the event draws near. They have the freedom to make creative choices, if need be, to adjust the event to the weather.

Lavallée-Heckert emphasized that only the elements of Voyageur Park that might require snow and ice, such as the shifting forms of the snow sculptures, will be affected. All indoor programming, such as the musical performances, will remain the same.

“We’re getting closer to Festival, and we don’t know what to expect, as things are changing very quickly at the park, and there’s currently more and mud, and less and less snow,” Lavallée-Heckert said. “We’ll see how much snow is left — there are all sorts of variables. We won’t know for sure until we open, and we’ll all find out together.”

Lavallée-Heckert said the FDV team is shifting to different mediums, such as hay and wood, as it prepares the park.

“For the children’s playground, there will still be stuff for the kids to enjoy — we’re really excited to be able to innovate as we continue our preparations, and find creative ways for the kids to play and have fun. It’s reminding us why we do what we do,” she said.

Festival-goers will have the chance to take in more than 150 artists, including The Strumbellas, K’naan, The Lytics, Amos the Kid, Noah Derksen, Attica Riots, Men in Kilts, Dust Rhinos, Al Simmons, Pow Wow 101, Winston Wuttunee — to name but a few.

New this year is an Indigenous art gallery featuring local Indigenous artists, which organizers say will provide a thought-provoking space and generate insightful conversations. Also on the menu are the traditional fiddling, jigging, beard growing and pea soup competitions, as well as family activities including historical interpretations, snow sculptures, Fayt a la min workshops, and wood-carving demonstrations.

“We have so much multi-disciplinary artistic and creative talent, and it’s to be able to see different artistic mediums evolve,” Lavallée-Heckert said.

Lavallée-Heckert added there’s still time for individuals to purchase their tickets for the nine-day celebration.

“I encourage folks to get their tickets and plan their trips to Festival,” she said. “There’s such a great lineup this year, and the warmer weather also provides prospective first-time visitors with a good chance to check it out.”

Tickets are available online at heho.ca and at the Festival du Voyageur office at 233 Provencher Blvd.

Individuals can also download the official Festival du Voyageur 2024 mobile app.