EDMONTON – Organizers say it will likely be a record year for the Edmonton Heritage Festival. They estimate hundreds of thousands of visitors have flocked to Hawrelak Park for the event over the long weekend.
The festival showcases the history, food, culture, and entertainment of more than 85 cultures at 60 pavilions in Hawrelak Park.
On Saturday, attendance was 15 per cent higher than usual, with about 108,000 people coming through the gates.
On Sunday, the count was up by about three percent.
This year, the festival welcomed a new addition: the Brazil and Columbia pavilion. Last year, Egypt joined the ranks.
Jack Little, the Executive Director of the Heritage Festival Association says attendance isn’t the only thing he’s seen growing over the years.
“I think the biggest change is in the attitude of Edmontonians. The last decade or so, more and more Edmontonians have come to accept this festival as being the representative of ethnic diversity and how wonderful ethnic diversity is and how it really works.”
“We’re putting on the most successful celebration of multiculturalism in one physical location in the world; you really don’t have to say much more than that.”
This is the 38th year for the festival, which raises donations and funds for the Edmonton Food Bank.
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