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The 40th Anniversary Folklore Festival 2013 threw all attendance records out the window with over 16,000 people out for the 3-day event.
Friday, May 3, Folklore Festival in partnership with CAHEP Thunder Bay ran a special Folklore program for school children at the Fort William Gardens, a first for the Festival. Saturday and Sunday drew more people to the Festival than any other Folklore Festival in its 40-year history. Saturday saw the largest crowd ever enjoying international foods from 21 different Booths, 29 Exhibit booths, incredible onstage Entertainment and Headliners, the Hot Juno Award winning SATTALITES, one of Canada’s greatest Reggae Bands. Sunday the constant flow of visitors continued and even the Liquor Booth sold out around 5:30pm, another first in Festival history.
The enchanting and lively Opening Ceremonies, “Parade of Nations” featured 16 different performances from areas all over the world playing to a packed house. From the very popular Children’s Area which had to expand on Sunday to accommodate all the happy children, to the superb artists including the young Artists in the Fifth (CAHEP Children’s Day Artists), exhibits including “shop-the-world” African, Aboriginal, Ecuadorian and India treasures on site, Folklore had thrills for visitors of all ages.
Tantalizing international foods drew enormous crowds of visitors to the Food Booths with four new Food Booths and an expanded German Booth. The temptations of authentic Caribbean Jerk Chicken, Wild Boar from Northern Unique, Portuguese Elephant ears, Filipino shiskababs, Indian curries and authentic tacos to name a few kept the Food Court hopping all weekend long with lineups at many booths on both days.
The winner of the free Porter Airline Trip for 2 anywhere Porter flies was Brent LeRossignol of Thunder Bay.
