The diverse tapestry that is the cultural makeup of St. Paul will be on display and celebrated in its assorted styles, at the end of the month.
On Sept. 26 and 27 the community will host the two-day St. Paul Heritage Festival, a celebration of the rich heritage from which the community draws its identity.
“We’ve been working hard to organize this year’s fourth annual festival. There’ll be cultural music, cultural dance, cultural foods, and some games and activities,” said Linda Boone, director with the Town of St. Paul FCSS.
The festival will be split into two separate events on each day. Friday will include music, food, and cultural displays. Celebrations will take place from 3:30 to 8 p.m.
Groups involved in the first day will include a number of crowd favorites, like Ukrainian and aboriginal dancers. There will also be French and Hawaiian music featured, as well as harmonica and dulcimer music.
The food sampling, another popular attraction, will be featured on Friday, with a smorgasbord of varied foods available for sampling. Samples will be available to purchase with 50-cent tickets.
There will be Asian, French, Norwegian, Indian, Hawaiian, Jamaican, Ukrainian, and possibly Filipino food available for sampling, notes Boone.
“There are historical displays planned, some of aboriginal artifacts, some Filipino heritage items. We’ll have rug making demos, quilting, Ukrainian Easter egg demonstration, an agricultural display, and a rodeo culture display,” she said.
There will also be children’s activities such as face painting and balloon twisting taking place on Friday.
Meanwhile the second day of the festival will involve something new.
“We’re planning to have an art exhibit for the first time. It’ll be on Saturday the 27th, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. It’ll be a display of local visual artists,” said Boone. “There’ll be hors d'oeuvres and some soft background music playing for people to enjoy while viewing the art.”
Boone described the event as being funded by FCSS, while also receiving additional funding from Alberta Culture Days.
This year, the festival is planned to take place all in the curling rink, instead of being split between the Rec Centre and curling rink.
“We’re really anticipating this to be all under one roof. That way nobody will miss a thing,” said Boone. “Many community partners contributed their ideas and input for planning both events.”
Admission for both days of the event is free, and is open to everyone.
“There’s something for the whole family, it’s very affordable. Last year we had about 500 people in attendance. This year we’re thinking we’ll see another 500 and upwards,” said Boone. “We want to be sure everyone has a chance to take in the event, come in and celebrate the various cultures with us, as well as showcase something from their own cultures.”
Boone encourages anyone looking for more information to contact the Town of St. Paul FCSS at (780) 645-5311.
