Canada Day in Winkler has a packed schedule of events.
From the opportunity to sample the best the region has to offer through food trucks to activities sure to keep the children entertained all day, there will be various ways to celebrate the nation.
Another part of the celebration — one that highlights all the different ways the Canadian experience unfolds — is Winkler’s Culture Fest, which runs from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m at Parkland Stage in Winkler.
Celebrating cultural diversity
Yelena Rochshina, settlement liaison at Regional Connections in Winkler, invites everyone to attend.
“It celebrates cultural diversity, inclusiveness, belonging, and this year, we will have ten country display booths representing different cultures,” she said. “It's a great opportunity to explore traditions, customs, and to ask questions and to be a part of this diversity.”
Rochshina said that the countries represented this year include Nigeria, Eritrea, the Philippines, Morocco, and Ukraine, among others.
Stamping passports, live music
Culture Fest will feature sights, sounds, and activities that highlight the very best of each culture.
Included in the festivities is a special activity for young attendees.
“Children will receive a passport, and they will be able to put stamps of each country they visit [onto it],” said Rochshina. “They can [also] sign up for a raffle draw and win one of the prizes donated by local businesses.”
There will also be face painting, henna, and free cotton candy. For entertainment on the day, there will be live music, dancing, and singing.
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The events will also include what Rochshina called a “very special moment” for its participants, a citizenship recognition ceremony in which the city will officially welcome new citizens.
For Rochshina, while Culture Fest is a good opportunity to come together as a community, the exposure to other cultures also has further significance.
“Traditions from different cultures inspire me because they show unity,” she said.
For the full schedule of Canada Day activities in Winkler, click here.
- With files from Jayme Giesbrecht -