Folklorama kicked off today amidst beautiful cultural attire, a proclamation, and much celebration.

 Each year in August, Winnipeg dedicates two weeks to celebrating culture and diversity through Folklorama, the country's largest and longest-running multicultural festival.

2018 will mark Folklorama's 49th year, and for the first time, the festival's two weeks have officially been proclaimed a cultural celebration.

Over 40 cultural communities are involved in the celebrations each year, with over 20,000 volunteers who help to make the event possible. About half a million people visited Folklorama pavilions in 2017.

Cathy Cox, minister of sport, culture and heritage for Manitoba says the hope is to exceed that number this year.

Calling it a city celebration of diversity, Cox said that the festival is a "spotlight on rich culture and diversity of Manitoba."

"There is nothing more Winnipeg, there is nothing more Canadian than Folklorama." -Mayor Brian Bowman

Mayor Brian Bowman agreed, announcing that this year, he plans to visit every single Folklorama pavilion.

"I think we need more Folklorama's in the world today, more than ever before," Bowman shared. "It's priceless when you think about what it does to communicate to Winnipeggers and visitors about how much we celebrate diversity in Winnipeg. There is nothing more Winnipeg, there is nothing more Canadian than Folklorama."

Bowman says the joy and pride for individual cultures he sees, especially in the youth involved with Folklorama, is his favourite part about the cultural festival.

"Just seeing the pride in some of the youth at the pavilions... six, seven, eight-year-olds that are just so proud of their culture and so proud to show it off... for some, it's that one week of the year that it's on full display for everybody to see.

"It's my favourite two weeks of the year."

Nehal Dhadral, one of the youth ambassador generals for the multicultural festival this year, says she could not be more excited to be taking part again this year in Folklorama.

"It's been my dream since I was six years old and I opened a Folklorama book and I saw these guys in white sashes, and I was like 'I want to do that!,'" Dhadral shared. "I was born in India, so I've always been really close with my culture."

The teen is looking forward to experiencing all the other cultures on display through the festival while representing her own and sharing it with the public.

Next year, Manitoba will celebrate Folklorama's 50th year. Cox hinted at special events already being in the works for the golden anniversary of the festival.

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