Indigenous pavilion among others unable to participate in 2023 Mosaic Festival

Regina’s largest cultural celebration of the year, Mosaic, is returning to the Queen City in just a matter of hours.

But this year’s edition of the festival won’t include a number of pavilions people have grown accustomed to over the years.

Just days before the start of Mosaic on June 1, it was announced the Indigenous pavilion wouldn’t be part of this year’s festival. The decision left those at the pavilion sad they wouldn’t be part of it.

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Joely BigEagle, a member of the pavilion, said there are a number of reasons they can’t participate, including the cost.

“Having access to a big enough location is one of the issues and it’s really expensive,” BigEagle said. “It’s a lot of organizing, time management and volunteer recruitment.”

A number of other countries will also not be represented, including Ireland, Cambodia, Serbia, Chile and some French-speaking countries.

BigEagle said another reason this year is difficult to manage, is the lack of actual items they sell in years previous.

“We were the only pavilion that did not sell alcohol and a lot of the other groups use the event as a fundraiser, whereas we didn’t have any expectations to make money,” BigEagle said. “It was a break-even expectation.”

In a statement, Mosaic said it reached out to all the cultures, but only 17 confirmed they would be able to attend. The others said that due to financial difficulties or lack of space, they are not able to confirm their attendance, and thus wouldn’t be part of this year’s celebration.

The Mosaic festival has been a tradition in Regina since 1967, but has been cancelled for the last three years due to the pandemic.

Despite the fewer pavilions this year, Mosiac is still a time to show off the vast cultures Regina is home to.

The festival kicks off Thursday.