Every year around this time the Missus, ‘Lil Peg and I play a game I like to call ‘Around the World in 14 Days.’
Brazilian Pavilion, photo courtesy Lance Thomson Photographic
We eat stew in Ireland, watch fire eaters from Jamaica, play the drums in a Brazilian samba and pour tea in a traditional Chinese ceremony. You name it, we try it.
Chinese pavilion, photo courtesy Lance Thomson Photographic
Cuban pavilion, photo courtesy Lance Thomson Photographic
And we get to do all this and more without ever having to leave our grand city.
It’s Folklorama time in Winnipeg again. The annual festival marks its 45th anniversary this year and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
The ‘world tour’ starts Sunday, August 3 and runs until August 16.
Folklorama is a fantastic celebration of Winnipeg’s diverse culture and ethnic communities that make up our city. Inside pavilions in neighbourhoods all over Winnipeg. We drink, dance, eat and celebrate the cultures of the world. Along the way we learn about the history of the places we may never get to visit in real life. (Darn those expensive plane tickets.)
German pavilion, photo courtesy Lance Thomson Photographic
Ukrainian pavilion, photo courtesy Lance Thomson Photographic
Folklorama is also one heck of a great party. Me and the Missus make sure we get a few date nights in during the festival. Don’t worry, ‘Lil Peg doesn’t get left out. We take our rascal to all sorts of pavilions. All the kids get such a kick out of the party too. They learn about the countries of the world and also about Winnipeg’s diverse cultural quilt. ‘Lil Peg also likes to try all the desserts and sweets we can find.
It’s a live-action culture lesson. It’s a geography, history and social anthropology class without all that pesky book learning and pop quizzes.
For those new to Folklorama, here’s how it works:
- Half the pavilions only run the first week and the remainder run the second week.
- Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. Adults, seniors and youth tickets cost $6 per pavilion. World travellers can buy tickets in advance or at the door. There are also several package deals and VIP packages for festival goers who want an enhanced experience.
Whatever way you slice it, Folklorama is a fantastic deal, especially for families. ‘Lil Peg, the Missus and I have our world tour already mapped out for this year. We’re going to tango in Argentina, visit the grand castles of Spain and possibly toss a caber in Scotland.
For all the details click here. Plan your world tour with Folklorama’s handy Travel Guide. Download it here.
