Festival showcases Brandon’s diversity

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This article was published 29/07/2024 (619 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Donovan Scott and Ana Aquino are newlyweds. She is from El Salvador, and he said he’s still learning “and loving” his new wife’s culture. They both had big smiles and wore matching shirts while at the Riverbank Discovery Centre on Saturday, for the one-day Westman Multicultural Festival Summer Celebration.

“Ana’s been introducing me to her culture, but with everything happening here, it’s amazing to see all the countries and what they have brought,” said Scott. “And especially the great food that you can smell for miles away.”

Ana held up a Salvadoran pupusa, which is made from “corn flour, and inside it’s filled with cheese, beans and pork, so, it’s a really good combination, and of course you need your tomato sauce on the side,” she said.

Along with El Salvador, the event featured authentic food, music, dancing and souvenirs from India, Mauritius, Philippines, Scotland, Ukraine and the Hispanic Association of Manitoba.

This is the second annual summer celebration, said Gautam Srivastava, one of the event organizers. It’s a spin-off of the bigger Westman Multicultural Festival, which ran each winter for 17 years, but went dark for three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 18th winter version was held five months ago in February over three days. Each of the six pavilions had people waiting in line to get in, so hopes were high for Saturday’s summer event.

“We’re so pleased to be bringing this back for our second year,” Srivastava said. “And much like the winter festival we have main stage entertainment on a rotating basis.

“But compared to the winter festival that has all the separate pavilions, I love watching all the performances and enjoy seeing all the cultures here in one place,” he said.

As Srivastava watched the crowd come in for the next performance on the Fusion Credit Union Stage, he said he’s noticed an increase in support from Westman each time a multicultural event is held.

“I think we’re doing excellent, and everyone’s just great and really accepting,” Srivastava said. “Obviously, it’s not an overnight process. I moved here in 2014 and at that time Brandon was diversely different. But I think things have changed for the positive, and I feel we’re all working together.”

Joel and Jennifer Melcosky and their friend Tylar Embury nodded to each other as they tasted their samosas from the Indian food tent.

In between bites, they talked about how much they enjoyed having all the pavilions in one location. Joel said he noticed a feeling of inclusivity.

“It makes you realize how diverse Brandon has become and how it’s evolved over the last 10 to 20 years, and I think that’s great.”

His wife Jennifer said she agreed. “If you don’t know about a culture, how can you embrace it, right? So, it’s fantastic to see the dancing, the music, the food and everyone come together. It’s incredible, just incredible.”

Gail Thickett and Donald Livesley said they were “just browsing,” as they examined the jewelry from the Mauritius booth.

“We’re enjoying all the cultures that are part of our society,” said Thickett. “I wanted to support this event because I really appreciated the effort that they put into displaying their countries.”

As Livesley took Thickett’s hand he smiled and said, “it’s marvellous.”

While it’s not known how many Western Manitobans attended Saturday’s event, Srivastava said he hoped the crowds would be bigger than last year when they estimated more than 3,000 people attended.

Next up for the committee members of the Westman Multicultural Festival is planning for February 2025’s event.

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