Festival du Voyageur is turning 50

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This article was published 21/01/2019 (2675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Organizers at Festival du Voyageur are preparing for the festival’s landmark 50th anniversary.

The 50th edition of the festival will be held between Feb. 15 and 24 at various sites, including the central hub of Voyageur Park in St. Boniface.

“I’m super-duper pumped,” Lynne Connelly, Festival’s president, said at a news conference to launch the event on Jan. 15. “This is going to be the biggest and best kitchen party yet.”

“I want to challenge you all to visit Festival du Voyageur. And if you’re thinking, ‘been there, done that,’ trust me — you haven’t. We’ve taken some goodies out of the archives, and there should literally be something for everyone.”

According to a news release, new items this year include a Festi-Bar on Ice at The Forks Historic Port; throwback events to celebrate the 50th anniversary such as the MEC Snowshoe Race on the river, dogsled rides, and a commemorative evening with bands who have played at Festival during the last five decades; an inflatable dome tent that will host Manitoba’s first silent disco presented by 24/7 Intouch; and a Chocolate Sculpting Expo presented by RBC Royal Bank.

Also, organizers say this year is a time for both celebration and reflection, and Festival du Voyageur will be taking what it calls “important steps in acknowledging the crucial role Indigenous communities played in the fur trade and will highlight the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures.”

“As we mark this milestone in our festival’s history, it is important to not only celebrate the past 50 years, but also look into the future,” Darrel Nadeau, Festival’s executive director, said.

“We have many brand-new and nostalgic activities in our programming this year for the public to discover. At the same time, it is important for us to take concrete steps to ensure Indigenous artists, organizations and heritage are represented at Festival du Voyageur.

As part of this acknowledgment, organizers say, there will be a full day of Indigenous artists playing at the Bell MTS Rivière-Rouge Tent on Louis Riel Day (Feb. 18); a Pow Wow 101 workshop with the Manitoba Ahbee Festival; the Métis flag procession with the Union National Métisse de Saint-Joseph du Manitoba; the winter trading camp; souvenirs made by Indigenous artisans on sale in the souvenir tent; the unveiling of a permanent plaque on Fort Gibraltar recognizing the ancestral territories on which it was built; and the signing of Winnipeg’s Indigenous Accord.

Music, of course, remains the bedrock of Festival, and this year more than 150 artists will be performing throughout the 10 days. Acts include Les Colocs, Chali 2na with Alaclair Ensemble and Anthony OKS, and Bright Righteous and guests — to name but a few.

All passes and tickets are now available on Festival’s website, and its office at 233 Provencher Blvd. Go online at heho.ca for more information.

As well, Festival’s app is now available for download on iOS and Android devices.