標題: Folklorama: a one-city tour of food, song and dance from around the world [打印本頁] 作者: tiffiant 時間: 2012-6-7 06:45 標題: Folklorama: a one-city tour of food, song and dance from around the world
Folklorama: a one-city tour of food, song and dance from around the world WINNIPEG - It's billed as one of the largest multicultural festivals in the world, offering a chance to sample food, music and dancing from around the globe without leaving Winnipeg city limits.
Folklorama dwarfs other festivals of its kind, filling community centres, school gyms and large convention halls throughout the city for two weeks every summer. Sure, there are similar festivals - the Heritage Festival in Edmonton and the Multicultural Festival in Halifax are two examples, both of which stage their events in a single location.
But Folklorama is the granddaddy of them all - 43 pavilions, 19 open from Aug. 5-11, 24 open from Aug. 12-18. Its sheer size attracts tourists from around the globe.
"We've had (tourist) groups from Paraguay, from Japan, we get them from all over North America ... Texas, New Jersey, California," said Murray Greenfield, who, as Folklorama's director of tourism, helps visiting tour groups plan their stay.
"We had a group for about four years running from Iceland."
The festival is a reflection of the diversity upon which Winnipeg prides itself. The city grew up around the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, which was a gathering place for aboriginals. French-speaking voyageurs and British settlers were among the early arrivals. They were followed by Ukrainians, Germans and other Europeans who settled in the bustling city or on farms across southern Manitoba. More recently, Winnipeg has seen a growing influx of immigrants from the Philippines and other Asian countries.
Local community groups that represent each of these cultures, and many more, are in charge of each pavilion. They feed and entertain thousands of visitors a night at each location, thanks to an army of more than 20,000 volunteers.
All of which can create a conundrum for festival-goers: How to take it all in, or at least as much as possible, on any given night. If you want to sample some spicy food and samba at the Brazilian pavilion downtown, will you also have time to take in a musical play at the Italian pavilion in the western suburbs? What about the borscht at the Ukrainian pavilion to the north?
"I go based on what personally interests me in the culture" said Cristina Poeppl, a Winnipeg resident who has attended Folklorama 10 times.
"Maybe it's a culture that I want to learn more about, or I really like that type of food."
Poeppl has frequently gone to the Brazil and Caribbean pavilions to enjoy exotic foods and because those pavilions have a reputation for putting on great dancing exhibitions.
She has developed a bit of a system to handle the festival's logistics. Every pavilion has three main seatings every night - at 6:45 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Some pavilions also have late afternoon or late night shows on weekends. After each sitting, the crowd must leave so that the next group can come in. Getting in usually requires standing in line outside the building at least 10 minutes before show time.
When Poeppl and her friends want to see three shows in one evening, they look for pavilions that are close together, sometimes within walking distance of each other. A very popular pavilion or one in a smaller venue is always first on their schedule, because crowds tend to be smaller early on. They also visit the most popular pavilions on a Monday or Tuesday rather than a Friday or Saturday.
"That way, we don't necessarily have to worry so much about parking or being in a long line," Poeppl said.
There is another way to overcome any logistical challenges - the VIP tour. Each year, the festival sells packages that include a bus ride to three pre-selected pavilions in one evening, with food and drinks at each stop. VIPs even get a separate entrance to bypass lineups at the doorway, and often get reserved seating. The VIP package sells for $69.95, while regular admission is $6 per pavilion (not including food and drink).
The VIP tours are a big attraction for out-of-towners who don't want the hassle of driving themselves around the city to find each pavilion.
"We like the fact that they have the whole festival and there's a guide that goes with us and just leads us where we need to go," said Kim Diederich, manager of Riley Bus and Tours, a Minnesota company that brings 40 or so people on an eight-hour drive to Winnipeg for Folklorama.
Festival organizers are adding another option this year - a bicycle tour. For $34.95, participants can travel in a group, by bicycle, to two pavilions in one evening and get food and non-alcoholic beverages at both stops.
Poeppl has one final bit of advice - expand your horizons and try something different, like her overseas relatives did when they visited Folklorama.
"I had German cousins over, and ... they actually didn't want to see the German pavilion because they were like 'oh, we can get that type of culture back home.' They were more interested in seeing something else," she chuckled.
If You Go:
Folklorama passes and information: www.folklorama.ca or 1-800-665-0234作者: tiffiant 時間: 2012-6-7 06:45
Dancers at the Brazil Carnival pavilion entertain the crowd at the Folklorama festival in Winnipeg in August, 2011. Folklorama is one of the largest multicultural festivals in the world and draws thousands of tourists every summer to the Manitoba capital
Dancers at the Spirit of Ukraine pavilion entertain the crowd at the Folklorama festival in Winnipeg in August, 2011. Folklorama is one of the largest multicultural festivals in the world and draws thousands of tourists every summer to the Manitoba capital.
