The Forks came alive with the multicultural entertainment of Folklorama Kick-off. Over the six-hour celebration, approximately 20,000 people got a taste of to expect over the 14-day festival.
“What a great night with a record number of people,” says Mohamed Ismath, Folklorama President. “We are very excited for Folklorama to start and are confident this will be an absolutely fabulous festival.”
A yoga class presented by lululemon started things off at 4pm, along with an ethnic market presented, sponsor tents and food vendors. Marco Castillo & The Brazilian Beats and Wushu Manitoba got the crowd warmed up from 5-6pm.
The mainstage show, hosted by CTV’s Jordan Witzel and HOT 103’s Ace Burpee, began at 6pm with a colourful Folklorama ambassador parade. The Honourable Stephen Fletcher, Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia and Headlingly; The Honourable Flor Marcelino, Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism; Acting Deputy Mayor Paula Havixbeck; Tracy Graham, Executive Vice President of Finance and CFO for Manitoba Lotteries; and Mohamed Ismath, Folklorama President, all addressed the crowd.
The mainstage entertainment showcased cultures from around the world with lively performances by the McConnell School of Dance, Theatre Flamenco, Indo Caribbean Performing Arts, Portuguese Folk Dancers of Manitoba, Zoloto Ukrainian Dance Company, Folklore De Mi Tierra, Ballet Folklorico Magia Chilena, Kayumanggi Philippines Performing Arts and Yoslai de la Rosa. Ballet Folklorico Magia Chilena made the trip from Chile to perform at Folklorama.
