THUNDER BAY - As the final dish is served and the last dancers take a spin around the stage, organizers with this year’s Folklore Festival say they could be looking at a record year.
The 40th Annual Folklore Festival wrapped up on Sunday and Jeanetty Jumah, chair of sponsorship and promotions with the festival, said the Fort William Gardens were packed on Saturday and Sunday.
“We are predicting this is either going to be a record Folklore Festival or certainly we are looking in the range of 13,000 to 14,000 people,” she said.
The annual festival that promises to take the people of Thunder Bay on a trip around the world in 48 hours included 19 food booths this year, as well as vendors, and many cultural performances.
“We had a surprise performance by youth First Nation dancers,” Jumah said on Sunday. “They graced the stage and we saw the jingle dance, the traditional woman’s dance, they had a grand entry. It’s what Canada is all about. We have all the nations of the world and we have our Aboriginal peoples who are so much a part of Canada.”
According to Jumah, such a strong turnout this year could be the result of organizers reaching out well beyond Thunder Bay for promotion, including south of the border and throughout Northern Ontario.
There is still time to take in the Folklore Festival as it continues on Sunday until 7 p.m. at the Fort William Gardens. But don’t wait too long, food booths are already starting to sell out and there is still so much more to see on the main stage.
“The food court is full and the people are here,” Jumah said. “Yesterday it was packed non-stop, people were coming and going. The entertainment stage was packed with high flying performances. This is going to be a very good folklore festival.”
