Folklorama

July 2014

The Manitoba Home Builders' Association is celebrating 75 years.

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w Jani-KingofManitobaanditsfranchisefamilyareproudsupporters oftheircommunitiesandofallparticipantsinFolklorama •S.E.Mb-Jake&LizKrahn •MariaKetema&EprameBeyene •DawitGebru •RomualdoLorenzoJr.&ImeldaLorenzo •WelduGubretu&MebrahtuBeyen •DynamicTrioGServices •EmbaServicesCorporation •CleofeEulalia •AfewerkiYemaneandRuthAbraha •Oscar&ElsaLopez •TilahunGedlu •YosiefEstifanos •BerektiOkbay •CristianAlbulescu •S.W.Mb/Brandon-DerrickCampbell SomeofourJani-Kingfranchiseownersinclude: Formoreinformationpleasecall989-5925 oremailusatwpgoffice@janiking.mb.ca COMMERCIALandHOSPITALITY CLEANINGSERVICES More ways than ever to enjoy FolkloraMa Longest-running multicultural fest all about welcoming everyone By Holli Moncrieff for the Free Press F olklorama is celebrating 45 years of being the largest, longest- running festival of its kind in the world. "Folklorama is a two-week, multi-venue celebration of our diversity. It first came about as a way to celebrate Manitoba's centennial, but people had so much fun, it just kept growing," said Debra Zoerb, executive Director. "It's certainly evolved over the years." the festival has given its visitors even more reason to celebrate this year. For the first time ever, vIP patrons can explore Folklorama on foot with the vIP walking tour. For only $34.95, they will see a scheduled show and receive a non-alcoholic beverage at two pavilions. Dinner will be served at the first pavilion and dessert at the second. "some pavilions may have lineups at times, so booking a vIP tour is a great way to avoid the lines and enjoy the festival," Zoerb said. "all of our vIP tours allow you to skip the lineups while you enjoy the best seating and special tours." From cycling tours to fully accessible options, there's a vIP tour available to suit everyone. one of the most popular is the vIP Party tour. the evening begins with scheduled shows at two pavilions, a domestic alcoholic beverage and meal at the first stop and a non-alcoholic beverage and dessert at the second. the final stop is a late night party with two cultural alcoholic beverages, music and dancing. If you have 15 or more people in your group, you can customize a vIP tour, selecting the pavilions of your choice. "I think people forget how affordable an evening at Folklorama can be," said Zoerb. "we're really proud of the fact that our festival is extremely accessible. we still offer free admission to children ages 12 and under, and our general admission has stayed the same price for five years." Folklorama will feature 43 pavilions this year, including two new arrivals — the andean pavilion and United kingdom Pavilion. "the best advice I can give people on choosing which pavilions to visit is to figure out what it is you want to enjoy, and what you want to get out of the festival. there are so many different ways to go about Folklorama," Zoerb said. "Find the things that appeal to you, but keep an open mind because there's a whole gamut of experiences available. the people who enjoy our festival the most are the ones who have an openness about trying something new, something different." the festival has launched a new website to make it simpler for everyone to plan their visit. they'll be hosting an Instagram contest beginning july 26. "Folklorama is for everybody. we want everyone to feel extremely welcome," said Zoerb. "we're trying to make our audiences feel like they're part of an extended Folklorama family." volunteers are the heart of the festival. almost everyone you see working at Folklorama is a volunteer. It's a year-round commitment to host a pavilion. Planning for each festival begins in the fall, and meetings start in earnest in january. "Folklorama's dedicated network of 20,000 volunteers are the reason we are celebrating our 45 th anniversary," said Folklorama Board President amelia sheocharan. "these dedicated men and women devote tremendous amounts of time, energy and passion to help celebrate the diverse cultures in our community and ensure the success of Folklorama year after year." while the vast majority of Folklorama's audience is from Manitoba, the festival sees many bus tours from across Canada and the U.s. tour groups have come from as far away as japan, Paraguay, and Iceland. "some tour groups have been coming for 45 years. this is a great place for foodies to try different specialties from various regions of the world," Zoerb said. "Folklorama is fun. It's a really good time." Folklorama runs aug. 3-16 this year. For more information or to plan your visit, please see their website at www.folklorama.ca. you can also follow them on Facebook, twitter and Instagram. "you'll find a warmth and generosity of spirit through all the pavilions. It's a really great way for newcomers to get a sense of some of the city's other communities," said Zoerb. "Folklorama promotes cross-cultural understanding, an openness and a sharing between cultures." For your travel guide, visit: www.folklorama.ca S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S » S aT U R d ay, J U Ly 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 aUGUST 3-16, 2014 folklorama

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