In 1967, members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre decided they wanted to create something special to wish Canada Happy One Hundred Birthdays. A float was made for the city's Centennial Parade and what was to become the festival's trademark began: great food and unique international artifacts were sold to the general public.
Today there are four components to the festival: international cuisine, traditional folk song and dance, artifacts and crafts from around the globe and the region, and community participation. The festival brings together various ethno-cultural groups and local community organizations in an effort to build a more comprehensive working model of the area's cultural mosaic.
In 2003, over 40,000 people attended this two day celebration of cultural diversity. In 2004 over 70, 000 people attended our Festival. The event is free to the public and good fun for the whole family. It is one of the area's largest summer outdoor events.
The coming together of various groups that marked the festival's inception continues today. Though the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre hosts the festival, its success is the result of the countless hours of preparation put in to the event by each of the festival's participants.
The festival provides local ethno-cultural groups an opportunity to raise funds for their individual organizations. Funds raised by community member groups are used all year long to support programs and activities in our community. In past years the generosity of these groups have provided scholarship funds for youth, supported minor sports, sent underprivileged kids to summer camp, as well as support the Walkerton Relief Fund, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, Rotary, cancer research and the Grand River Hospital to list a few. The festival is a community event in the true sense of the word.
For more information on these groups contact Jennifer O'Connor, Festival Coordinator at (519) 578-7570.