July 4, 2014. During its three-day festival, Carnival of Cultures proudly showcased more than 20 different countries. Represented by over 40 organizations and 400 performers, Ottawa’s folk arts community offers the Nation’s Capital a taste of folkloric music, song and dance traditions that hail from countries around the world.
The festival presented several stage performances throughout the weekend, along with dance and music demonstrations, storytelling sessions, dedicated programming for schools, cultural exhibits and international cuisine flavours served up by local businesses.
The Carnival of Cultures, also known as Ottawa’s International Folkloric Festival, consists of cultural performances, featuring music, song and dance from around the world. It is usually located at the Marion Dewar Plaza in Ottawa. The festival started in 1992.
The 3 day event featured Sri Lankan, Venezuela, Filipinos, New Zealand, Lebanese, Mexican, Chinese, Scottish, Caribbean, Japanese, Colombian, Egypt, Latino, Inuit, Polish, Russian, Lebanese, Greek, Odyssey Dance Troupe, Modern jazz, and Ukrainian performers.
This festival not only celebrates cultures from around the world. «Carnival of Cultures exists for the purpose of promoting the creativity and artistic expression of artists whose works give new meaning to the folk arts. Through the preservation and transformation of traditional creations, these artists contribute to the longevity of the folk arts, making them accessible to the general public”, says festival director Tony Yazbek.
