Folklorama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Folklorama |
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Folklorama 2012 India Pavilion
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| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Years active | 55 |
| Inaugurated | 1970 |
| Next event | August 6–19, 2023 |
| Participants | Approx. 3,000 entertainers and over 20,000 volunteers |
| Attendance | Approx. 445,000 (2018) |
Folklorama is a huge festival that happens every August in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It lasts for two weeks. People visiting the festival get to try amazing foods and learn about the many different cultures that call Winnipeg home. Folklorama is known as the biggest and longest-running multicultural festival in the world!
Each culture has its own special place, called a pavilion. There are usually over 40 pavilions spread across the city. About half of them are open during the first week, and the other half open in the second week. At each pavilion, you can watch shows with traditional songs and dances. You can also try delicious ethnic foods and see cool cultural displays. Some pavilions even offer fun activities like henna tattoos or workshops to learn how to play steel pan drums. Many also serve special drinks from their culture.
Folklorama helps different cultural groups share their traditions. It also brings thousands of tourists to Winnipeg each year. This helps the city's economy. The International Council of Organizations for Folklore Festivals and Folk Art (CIOFF) has recognized Folklorama as the largest and longest-running festival of its kind. The Folk Arts Council of Winnipeg organizes this amazing event.
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History of Folklorama
Folklorama first started in August 1970. It was called the Centennial Folk Festival back then. The City of Winnipeg and the Folk Arts Council of Manitoba worked together to create it. It was meant to be a one-time event to celebrate Manitoba's 100th birthday.
The festival was so successful that it became an annual event. The first festival lasted only one week. It featured 21 different cultures. Some of the original pavilions included Indian, Greek, Portuguese, Ukraine, and Africa/Caribbean. About 50,000 people visited the pavilions that first year. In 1988, Folklorama changed to its current two-week format. This way, more people could visit all the pavilions.
Folklorama Symbols
The Folklorama logo was designed by Andy Stout in 1980. He won a contest to create it. The four figures in the logo represent people from all over the world. They are linked together with their arms raised, showing celebration. The festival's fun mascot, the Folklorama Llama, was created in 1986.
Ambassadors and Pageants
Until 1989, each pavilion had a mayor and a queen. The queen would compete in the Miss Folklorama pageant at the end of the festival. This was not a beauty pageant. Instead, it was a "contest of ethnic preservation and presentation." Queens were judged on their knowledge of their culture and country, their participation, and their personality. Since 1990, pavilions now have two adult ambassadors and two youth ambassadors. These roles are open to anyone, regardless of gender.
Celebrating 50 Years
The 50th Folklorama festival happened in 2019. There were 22 pavilions in the first week. These included cultures like African, Argentina "Tango", Caribbean, Celtic Ireland, German, Greek, India, and Ukraine. The second week had 23 pavilions. These featured cultures such as Brazilian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Scottish, and Polish.
Folklorama Programs
Throughout the year, Folklorama runs different programs. These include "Folklorama at Home," "Folklorama at School," "Folklorama at Work," and "Folklorama at Play." These programs help share cultural arts and traditions beyond the festival itself.
Festival Facts and Figures
- On average, over 400,000 visits are made to pavilions each year. In 2019, about 455,000 visits happened across 45 pavilions. Many visitors go to more than one pavilion.
- About 21% of people who visit the pavilions come from outside of Winnipeg.
- More than 3,000 entertainers perform in over 1,500 shows during the two-week festival.
- Around 600,000 meals are served and 1,000,000 drinks are poured by the end of the festival.
- About 20,000 volunteers help make Folklorama happen.
- Folklorama adds about $14.7 million to Manitoba's economy.
