Festival du Voyageur visits up by 13 per cent

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This article was published 26/02/2016 (3721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The numbers are in, and they prove that this year’s Festival du Voyageur was a massive success.

Figures released by Festival organizers show that the 47th edition of Western Canada’s largest winter festival garnered more than 102,000 visits to all the official festival sites, which represents a 13 per cent increase over last year’s numbers, and was helped in no small part by the favourable weather conditions, officials say.

“After we had the second-coldest festival in our history last year, we believe the weather really co-operated this year,” Irina Ivanov Bissonnette, Festival’s Director of Marketing and Communications, told The Lance, noting that Festival’s theme nights such as a singles night on Valentine’s Day and karaoke nights and board game nights were a “huge success.”

In a news release, Festival’s xecutive director Ginette Lavack Walters expressed her gratitude to all those who participated in the 10-day extravaganza.

“This festival was a great success at all levels. Thanks to diverse programming and mild temperatures, visitors came out in large numbers to celebrate winter, joie de vivre and francophone culture with us,” Lavack Walters said.

Among this year’s most popular events were the Coeur de pirate concert in collaboration with Winnipeg Folk Festival at the Voyageur Trading Post, the Fashion Show on Ice at Rendez-vous on Ice and the Rendez-vous des chefs in Maison du Bourgeois — Festival’s much-loved pea soup competition — when the people’s choice award went to Stella’s and the judges’ prize was awarded to The Mitchell Block.

Musical programming was once again Festival’s jewel in the crown, with more than 140 artists performing, while visitors with an appetite for hands-on history had the opportunity to take part in a series of voyageur apprenticeship workshops. More than 200 photos submitted on social media were used to make up a giant mosaic of Louis Riel, which was unveiled on the public holiday bearing his name on Feb 15.

And on Feb. 20, the new official Voyageur family — the Perron-Beaudry family — was announced.

A survey is available online at www.heho.ca to collect feedback and comments. Respondents are eligible to win select prizes. The survey deadline is March 3.

The 48th edition of Festival will be held from Feb. 17 to 26, 2017.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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