A celebration of the different cultures that have found a new home in Cochrane will make its return for a fourth year in a row, with the return of Culture Fest on Sept. 7.
The festival will take place at the Cochrane Lions Event Centre from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is completely free, and guests will have the chance to connect with representatives from 22 different nations from around the world.
Ambassador for the Cochrane Immigrant Services Committee, Peter Lantos, said it feels fantastic to highlight the diverse cultures that can be found in town. This year, Lantos said the event is expecting to welcome between 500 to 1,000 guests.
“It’s quite amazing that we have that many different diverse cultures, in a small town like Cochrane of 35,000 to 40,000 people.” Lantos said. “This year, we have approximately 22 different countries being represented by people who actually live right here, in Cochrane.”
Guests will have the chance to exhibit various booths which will feature everything from trivia, representatives answering questions, and even food samples of the many flavours that can be found in Cochrane.
“There’s also going to be approximately 10 different performances and musicians from different countries,” Lantos said.
Lantos added that he is grateful to see the continued support from local leaders that attend each year’s event, including Cochrane Town Council and Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie. Although Guthrie was unable to attend last year’s festivities, he still shared a heartwarming video for attendees of the event.
“This festival is meant as time to connect, an opportunity to learn from one another, while appreciating our shared values and different traditions,” Guthrie said in the video. “And ultimately, it’s an all-around fun day.”
With the event a few weeks away, Lantos encourages Cochranites to come drop by the event and learn more about the many cultures that can be found in town.
“It’s not a one-horse town anymore,” Lantos said. “There’s 22 different countries that will be there, [so] just come out, have fun, learn as much as you can, sample the food, and talk to the people.”
