Festival du Voyageur to celebrate 50th anniversary with throwback events

Festival du Voyageur turns 50 Colleen Bready hears what to expect from the 50th anniversary edition of the Festival du Voyageur.

Festival du Voyageur is in its 50th year and to mark the occasion this year’s festival will feature events with a nod to its history.

These throwback events include a MEC snowshoe race on the river, dogsled rides, as well as a special commemorative event on Feb. 22 that will feature an artist from each decade of the festival.

The La Prairie tent will also be renamed the Forest Tent, to honour the festival’s founder Georges Forest.

“As we mark this milestone in our festival’s history, it is important to not only celebrate the past 50 years but to also look to the future,” said executive director Darrel Nadeau.

This year’s event will also recognize the important role Indigenous people played during the fur trade era by offering activities that include: a full day of Indigenous artists performing at the Bell MTS Rivière-Rouge Tent on Louis Riel Day; a Métis flag procession with the Union National Métisse de Saint-Joseph du Manitoba; and the signing of Winnipeg’s Indigenous Accord with clear and concrete goals and actions.

Other new features of the Festival du Voyageur for 2019 are a Festi-Bar on Ice at the Forks Historic Port, a chocolate sculpting expo, and an inflatable dome tent for a silent disco. There will also be over 150 local and national artists performing at the 10-day event.

This year’s event runs from Feb. 15 to 24. Tickets and passes are available at the Festival du Voyageur website or office located at 233 Provencher Blvd.