At the beginning of next month, Estevan will be host to another intricate cultural tapestry with the return of the Southeast Newcomer Services’ Collage Cultural Festival.
“It’s going to be pretty much the same as last year. There’ll be performers in the multi-purpose room in the Leisure Centre, and booths out in the hall,” said Oksana Miller, program co-ordinator with Southeast Newcomer Services, who is organizing the event. “I would say it’s going to be a celebration of cultural diversity, and kind of part-educational too.”
The Oct. 1 event will run from noon until around 6:00 p.m., and will feature people serving as ambassadors for an assortment of cultures from around the world, performing traditional dance, and music onstage, and presenting information about their cultures to guests.
“We’re going to have performers like Afro-drumming, and some Ukrainian people presenting their music and songs, along with some aboriginal performers as well,” said Miller.
The hallways of the Estevan Leisure Centre will be lined with booths, offering not only food, but crafts, information, and exhibits from many global cultures. Some of the exhibits will be interactive for guests, featuring opportunities to get henna tattoos and hair-braiding for those inclined.
Although there won’t be any cooking going on this year, due to restrictions, there will be snack food from a variety of cultures available at many of the booths set up in the hallway of the Leisure Centre. Miller noted during an interview with the Mercury that there were already over ten booths planned, and seven different entertainment acts planned for the stage in the multi-purpose room.
The event will be completely free, and Miller encourages everyone to come out in light of that.
Although Miller wasn’t in Estevan for last year’s Collage, she anticipates this one will draw just as robust a crowd. Another draw at the event will be a kids’ craft corner in the Estevan Arts Council room, which will include pottery, paper dollars and an assortment of other interactive crafts for children who visit the festival.
“I just want to say that everyone is really welcome to attend,” said Miller. “I think it will be a fun day for people of all ages, who’ll all have something to do there.”
