Performances from Saskatoon Folkfest 2019 (submitted photo/David Stobbe)

By Nicole Reis

Folkfest Gives Back

Saskatoon Folkfest goes virtual

Aug 10, 2020 | 1:17 PM

With limits to gatherings this summer, Saskatoon Folkfest will be offering the celebration virtually for the first time in 40 years with the latest event, ‘Folkfest Gives Back – Connecting with Culture.’

“The heart of Folkfest’s mandate is to gather together to share and experience cultural traditions, so within these extraordinary circumstances we are very excited to be able to share the spirit of Folkfest virtually,” the event’s board president Neil Irvine said in a release. “With numerous pavilions sharing performances, coupled with the opportunity to collaborate with the iconic Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, this event will be a true community celebration of culture.”

Performances from Saskatoon Folkfest 2019. (submitted photo/David Stobbe)

Executive Director of Folkfest Saskatoon Teresa Strohan told meadowlakeNOW the virtual event is an opportunity for everyone to get together and continue to celebrate cultural connection.

“We were really happy we are able to being together a number of different cultures for some performances then bring it all together for one night were people can gather in their household bubbles,” Strohan said. “[The virtual event offers] an evening to get together and celebrate the importance of culture in our community.”

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Folkfest Gives Back is an opportunity for Folkfest Saskatoon to give back to the community who have purchased passports over the years and supported the festival and member organizations. Strohan said this is the organizers chance to give back to the community with this showcase.

For decades, Saskatoon Folkfest has strengthened community ties through a multicultural celebration of diversity and inclusivity. Through 40 festivals, Folkfest has been supported by more than 50 pavilions, 100,000 volunteers and one million passports.

Viewers can expect a range of cultural performances including music and cultural dance performances, and a cooking demonstration from volunteers who have record themselves in their home kitchens making a dish. Cultural dances will include everything from Bollywood dancing to hard shoe dancing and lined skirt dancing.

The opportunity to partner with SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival offers a live performance from the Oral Fuentes reggae band. Folkfest Saskatoon board members will host the event in between performances.

There will be a Spotlight on Youth performance featuring youth ambassadors from seven different cultural pavilions. Youth ambassadors typically perform an inter-cultural dance and this year, with distancing requirements, youth were determined to learn the dances virtually over Zoom until they recorded their performance.

Performances from Saskatoon Folkfest 2019. (submitted photo/David Stobbe)

“We were just so excited these young people put that much of a commitment into learning,” Strohan said. “Because of the distancing, we could only have three cultures at a time to abide by social distancing requirements.”

Each culture learned two other culture dances, then dancers performed together in two parts. Six different cultures learned each other’s dances and will be performing on the day of the event representing cultures from Scotland, Ireland, Hungary, Greece, the Philippines and India.

In 2020 patrons can tune in digitally here. You can also connect through Facebook here.

Folkfest Gives Back – Connecting with Culture will stream August 15 beginning at 7 p.m.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722