‘A year of resilience’: Edmonton Heritage Festival is back with high hopes

Edmonton's three-day Heritage Festival returns for the August long weekend for its annual showcase of food and entertainment from around the world.

The 52nd annual Edmonton Heritage Festival hits the city this weekend with a renewed fervour and hopes for clear weather.

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This year will see 66 pavilions that represent different countries in a celebration of food and culture between Aug. 2 and 4.

It’s the final year at a temporary location, too.The Edmonton Expo Centre and Exhibition Grounds has hosted the festival while its usual home, Hawrelak Park, closed for renovations.

Rob Rohatyn, executive director of the festival’s association, said he’s excited to keep the festival going this year.

“It brings the community together. It gives the community an opportunity to meet and engage with all of the cultures that make up Edmonton,” Rohatyn said.

Rácz-Fodor Bálazs is dancing at the Heritage festival this weekend and appeared at a kickoff event on Wednesday to give a preview of the celebrations. He and his group will be performing five dances from around different regions of Hungary.

“It’s my first time here in Canada and it’s my first time here in this festival. We’re very excited,” he said.

“Getting to know different people from around the world could really open your view to many things, like food or traditions.”

Ayantu Abduro is with the Oromo dance group for her third year of the festival. Oromia is a regional state of Ethiopia that Abduro said is a “culture of many dances.”

“A lot of cultures are dying and new generations are not picking up traditions and whatnot,” she said. “So when everybody can go around and see their culture … it’s really impactful in the future.”

Weather preparations

Rohatyn said this was “a year of resilience” after a massive storm last year forced the festival to shut down operations for a day.

While they’re hoping for three sunny days this year, Rohatyn said the damage their infrastructure took in the storm last year is something they’re “mindful” about.

“I wouldn’t call [the storm] once in a lifetime, but my hope is that it’s not an annual occurrence … and we do have emergency protocols in place if they do arise,” Rohatyn said.

The weather so far is calling for a fairly sunny Saturday and Monday, but cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers on Sunday.

Cultural considerations

Another component Rohatyn wants to stay aware of is varying geopolitical tensions.

“We are not a political festival by any means. However, we have to be mindful of the heightened emotions that can come with that,” he said.

Russia, for example, has not participated in the festival for the last few years.

“There’s a lot that’s required to be able to be successful at our festival,” Rohatyn noted.

All cultures that submit an application the November before the festival must be prepared with at least two cultural components and a plan for their pavilion each year.

This year, the festival runs Saturday, Aug. 2 12-9 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 3 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Monday, Aug. 4 10 a.m.-8 p.m.