Folklorama Winnipeg – sizzle in the city!

Folklorama, Winnipeg Folklorama, Folklorama Winnipeg.

For two weeks in August, take a round-the-world tour at Folklorama Winnipeg, a celebration of the world’s cultural diversity in Canada’s most proudly multicultural city.

As the world’s largest multicultural festival of its kind, this is your chance to see the dances and music, sample the fare and take a mini-vacation of a few hours or so to countries you may never have visited (or wish you could get back to).

A summer favourite for more than 40 years, Folklorama Winnipeg was named the Top-Voted Event in Canada by readers and editors of WestJet magazine in their 2010 poll.

Yet this festival remains almost unknown elsewhere in Canada and beyond.

But that might be changing - 300,000 viewers across Canada tuned in to see at least part of the 2010 edition's Kick-off at The Forks on July 31.

It’s billed as the sights, sounds and tastes of Winnipeg’s multicultural communities. If you already live here, this is an opportunity for a staycation where you truly can travel the globe.

There were 45 pavilions at the 2010 edition, August 1 to 14. Half open the first week; the other half during the second week.

Even if you pace yourself, you couldn’t possibly get to them all (I’m sure somebody has tried). It is possible, though, to get to three in one evening sprint (most don’t open till suppertime).

In addition to the pavilions, there are free concerts all festival long at Market Square.

Just one night!

Here’s how 3 pavilions in one night would work. Knock off work early and race to Pavilion Number 1 to be among the first in line. See the first show, have a small nosh (call this your appetizer) and (if someone else is driving) you can sample their beer or wine (or brandy or vodka). Have a look at the display, preferrably on the way in, so you can zip out right after the first show (at about 7:15).

On to Pavilion number two for more dinner and dessert and another show that starts at 8:15, ending about 9 or so.

You can’t linger if you want to get to the late show at Pavilion 3 at 9:45 to about 10:30. Usually the late shows are somewhat more adult in content and some are a bit racy; the earlier ones are more for families.

Your evening winds up between 11 p.m. and midnight, when most of the pavilions close.

Unless it's either Friday or Saturday, when some some pavilions have a late night, everyone-over-18 is invited party that ends at between 1 and 2 a.m.

Admission at each pavilion is $6 at the door. Dinner will be in the $10 range, and drinks $5 or so.

Say you get to three pavilions, take in the three shows, have a drink at each and your night out still costs only about $50. Such a deal!

So, which pavilions have the hottest shows, where are the ones with the best food and drink, where are the coolest displays and who is dancing in the most stunning costumes?

In former years, I’ve found that every Folklorama Winnipeg pavilion is doing at least one thing well.

At some, the food is just OK, but the shows are stunning. At others, it is the display room that really shines, with interactive displays where, for example, you can learn the basics of playing a traditional musical instrument or try your hand at traditional weaving (at the Métis pavilion) or learn how to wear a sari (India Pavilion) or have your name written in Korean.

And at some pavilions the food is so divine you’ll wish they’d adopt you or at least give a cooking class.

At others, in the midst of it all, the hosts aren’t the least bit frazzled. They’re all still smiling and welcoming you like you just stepped into their own living room (Columbian pavilion is a stand-out for this).

There are souvenirs and crafts for sale at many of the pavilions, and often these are great for gifts (if you're one of those people who start their Christmas shopping early) because they have jewellery, foods, decor, toys and other things you just don't see in shops here.

Some pavilions are like a mini-Disney, doing everything they can to please and just getting everything right.

The high-wattage star-power tends to be at the pavilions that have a larger (and longer-established) local population coming from that country (and therefore a larger pool of volunteers to draw from to create the magic).

Of course, larger and more popular also means they sell-out, it’s crowded inside, and there are line-ups to get in, for your food and for your drinks.

But there are strategies to get the most from this fest.

How to do the Folklorama Winnipeg shuffle…

Planning is required.

Here's what we've found works in my family. We each make a list of the 3 (or so) pavilions we absolutely don’t want to miss for each week, then we compare lists.

This usually results in the final short list of 5 or so must-sees per week. We go to them all and everyone’s happy.

Every pavilion is reviewed by the lifestyle reporters for Winnipeg Free Press and these reviews (usually in the paper the Wednesday of each Folklorama week) are really useful in planning Folklorama tour destinations.

They tell you just what to expect in the food, drink, displays, and shows and why (in the reviewer’s opinion) you should go.

Smaller local papers, such as The Metro also list all the pavilions and their locations.

Pavilions are located all over Winnipeg. Some are in community centres, others are in church halls or schools or even curling clubs. We’ve found it really helps to use a GPS to find them.

Most have limited parking; some are a bit iffy if you rely on a wheelchair.

The best way to skip the line-ups (it can be hot in August, standing in the sun, wishing you were inside) is to buy a Folklorama Winnipeg passport. For $150 you get into every pavilion (and you sail right past those poor people in line). You will need to buy the passport in advance. More about where and how to do this is on Folklorama’s website.

You get an all-inclusive evening tour to three pavilions, zippy entry (skipping the line-up), three course dinner (one per pavilion), three shows and coach transportation (door to door) with the VIP World Tour package ($65). Popular with groups and seniors, there are three busses each night, so you have plenty of 3-pack combo options. VIP tickets are advance only, available online.

Another money-saving option is to buy a family pack ($45) which gives you 12 admissions for the price of nine, available at the door or in advance.

Kids age 12 and younger get in free with an adult.

And the kick-off celebration at The Forks giving you a sampler of the entertainment to come (usually an entire evening, the Saturday before the first week of Folklorama, starting around 5 p.m. and going until late), is also free.

Take cash – some pavilions accept debit, some take credit cards, but many can handle cash only. And using cash helps speed up the line.

Tickets and venue info for Folklorama Winnipeg by calling (204) 982-6210.

Free at Folklorama Winnipeg

Folklorama Facts

Fest Roots Folklorama started in 1970 with 22 pavilions, almost all representing communities from Europe. Only five of the originals have hosted every year since. They are: Ukrainian-Kiev, Greece, Germany, Scandinavian and Philippines pavilions.

How many visitors? 442,000 pavilion admissions in 2009; 447,000 in 2010.

How many volunteers? It takes more than 20,000 dancers, cooks, security, singers, hosts, MCs, and in many other roles at 45 pavilions.

Most popular pavilion? In 2009, it was Brazil.

Stand-out product? Folklorama Beer, a dark local brew from Fort Garry Brewing Co. Ltd., available at Liquor Mart.

Audience size at The Forks kick-off event: 14,000

More about Folklorama pavilions

Looking for Folklorama Winnipeg pavilions that have kids programs? Dinners where you need reservations? Late-night parties?

Here's more about Folklorama Winnipeg pavilions...

Go from Folklorama Winnipeg to read about more Winnipeg Festivals

Back to Visitor-Guide-to-Winnipeg.com home page