K-W Multicultural Festival Will Be Online Again This Year

May 19

(Kitchener, May 19) The Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre announced today that the 54th annual K-W Multicultural Festival will be online again this year.

Festival organizers recognized that even if the provincial lockdown orders were eased prior to the end of June, there would be insufficient time for community groups, artisans, performers, and the ethnic associations that sell food at the Festival each year to get organized.

The Festival will take place on the Multicultural Centre’s YouTube channel and feature a series of programs throughout Multicultural Week ending with a one-hour special on Saturday June 26 at 7PM. In addition to featuring community groups, local artisans, ethnic associations, and professional entertainers, the Festival is reaching out to encourage local restaurants, food trucks, and farmer’s market vendors to participate. Applications are online at https://kwmulticultural.ca/online-festival-application

“Last year we had our very first online Festival,” said Lucia Harrison, CEO of the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, “and it allowed people to interact with some of our artisans, enjoy story-telling, participate in hands-on activities, and engage with local performers on YouTube. This year we’re doing even more online. Stay tuned for more information.”

The Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, which provides employment and settlement support services to newcomers to the community also processes nearly 20,000 interpretation requests each year.  "The demand for our services has gone up, not down, as a result of COVID-19" said Harrison.  "We're working closely with the Region, the schools, and front-line healthcare workers to ensure that everyone in our community has access to accurate information about COVID-19 and what they need to do."

For further information contact:

festival@kwmulticultural.ca