Multicultural festival sees strong turnout on second day

Music, food and cultural storytelling continued to draw crowds across Brandon on the second day of the Westman Multicultural Festival, as visitors moved between pavilions to experience traditions from around the world without leaving the city.

From the aromas of Palestinian cuisine on Aberdeen Avenue to colourful performances and dance at the Indian pavilion, visitors embraced what organizers describe as a celebration of culture, community and shared experience.

Festival chair Enver Naidoo told the Sun early turnout has been strong following Thursday’s opening event.

“Thursday was the kickoff of the festival, and it was full attendance,” Naidoo said. “It was an incredible celebration and more to come today (Friday) and Saturday, for sure.”

Historically, the festival attracts about 25,000 visitors over three days, but Naidoo said strong community engagement, favourable weather and the return of several pavilions could push attendance higher this year.

“The engagement and the excitement from the community and from the region and the province, I think there’s a greater chance of a higher turnout this year,” he said. “The event remains family-friendly and free for visitors.”

At the Palestine pavilion, hosted at the Backyard on Aberdeen, visitors were welcomed by traditional music, cultural videos and the smell of freshly prepared food.

This is the second year the Palestinian community has hosted a pavilion at the festival, chair Aida Harrison, who has lived in Brandon for 27 years, told the Sun on Friday evening.

“We are playing live music, most of it recorded in each city of Palestine,” Harrison said. “The videos feature traditional Dabke dancing and groups singing traditional songs in the streets across different cities.”

The displays, she said, are intended to offer visitors a deeper understanding of Palestinian culture beyond what they often see in the news.

“Maybe what they see in the news all the time is the Palestine war … but Palestinian people, they are people who want to live in peace and dignity like everybody else,” Harrison said. “We are praying and hoping for peace.”

Food also played a central role in the experience, with dishes such as maqluba, a rice and cauliflower dish served with roasted chicken, alongside meat pies, za’atar and traditional desserts including baklava and harissa.

Harrison said organizers expected at least 150 visitors through the pavilion Friday evening, with many already lining up at the door.

For newcomer Jennifer Houselander, the pavilion marked both her first visit to the festival and her first stop of the evening.

“It’s lovely. The place is lovely, and they had some nice food selection and lovely music,” she said. “I hope to see more costumes, dance and cultural performances in other pavilions.”

At the Indian pavilion in the Grand Salon at the Victoria Inn, large crowds gathered for cultural performances, food and interactive displays representing multiple regions of India.

The pavilion brings together three main cultural groups — the Punjabi Cultural Association, the Brandon Malayalam Association and the Sardar Patel cultural group representing Gujarati culture, general manager Gautam Srivastava told the Sun.

“We bring India to Brandon as much as we can,” Srivastava said. “About 95 per cent of our population here in Brandon that’s Indian has moved from India, so their recent experiences with India are translated here into what we put together.”

Visitors were treated to an hour-long lineup of dances and music performances, along with food vendors, henna tattoos, jewelry and traditional clothing displays.

Based on attendance from the opening night, Srivastava estimated about 2,000 visitors would pass through the pavilion on Friday alone, with similar numbers expected on the final day.

He said one of the highlights has been seeing people from different cultural backgrounds visiting and supporting one another’s pavilions.

“It’s just that melting pot of different cultures that we envision Canada to be,” he said. “That’s what the pavilions bring to Westman.”

The Westman Multicultural Festival features pavilions spread across the city, each offering distinct cultural experiences.

The Nigerian and Hispanic Association of Manitoba pavilions are hosted at the WIS Multicultural Centre, while the Ukrainian pavilion is located at the National Ukrainian Hall and the El Salvador pavilion at the North End Community Centre.

Other participating locations include the Philippines pavilion at Knox United Church, the Colombian pavilion at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall, the Métis pavilion at the Manitoba Métis Federation, the Scottish pavilion at the Victoria Inn and the Mexican pavilion at the Shrine Club.

As the festival heads into its final day today, Naidoo encouraged residents and visitors to explore as many pavilions as possible.

“It’s a global experience without necessarily having to leave the country,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

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