Half way through what is likely to be one of the coldest summers on record, it’s clear there are very few sure things about a Manitoba summer. However, the one thing that can be relied upon every year are the festivals, both large and small, that happen in communities across Manitoba and that showcase our province’s heritage and culture.
This week and next the largest cultural festival in the province, Folklorama, is celebrating its 40th year. What started out as something that was intended to be a one time event, has developed into the largest and longest running cultural event of its kind in the world. And while Folklorama may be the largest cultural event in the province, it is only one of many that celebrate the province’s history and diversity.
Throughout rural Manitoba, many summer festivals have a strong cultural perspective. From the Icelandic Festival in Gimili, to the Trappers Festival in The Pas to Pioneer Days in Steinbach, annual festivals highlight the past development and current culture of Manitoba. These events are not just important to the economies and spirit of the local communities that act as their host, they also help create an identity for the different regions of our province.
And while many of the festivals pay specific attention to the history of a region and its settlers, most have continued to adapt to recognize the current nature of the community. That was seen at the local Pioneer Days parade that paid tribute to the heritage of the community but also welcomed and showcased the ethnic diversity that exists in the region as a result of new Canadians settling in the southeast. In fact, the Southeast Filipino Association even took home the Judges Choice award at this year’s Pioneer Day Parade in demonstrating their community spirit.
While these celebrations of culture and community are important, they are by no means easy to sustain year after year. They rely on a core of volunteers who are willing to dedicate hours of time preparing and organizing the events. As many of these celebrations enter their second and third generations, it means that new generations of volunteers and sponsors need also to step forward to make these events happen.
For smaller communities with a more limited base of volunteers to draw on, this can be increasingly difficult. Fortunately, most of these traditional celebrations are not only surviving, they are thriving. And for that we can all be thankful, because as this summer has shown, warm Manitoba summers cannot always be counted on, but the warm reception of the cultural and community celebrations that define our province seem to be the last sure thing of summer.
