I always look forward to May because it’s Niagara Folk Arts Festival time! That also translates to food, food, and more food. It’s one of my favourite times because it’s cool to see other cultures and what they have to offer.
For more adventure, check out the Canuck Kitchen Travel Section.
What is the Niagara Folk Arts Festival?
The Niagara Folk Arts Festival is an annual festival that celebrates different cultures. Since the festival has been around for over 50 years, it stirs up quite the excitement. Experience dance, art, performances, and traditional cuisines. Come and see the diversity that Canada has to offer.
Some of the open houses, like Club Roma (Italian) and Club Heidelberg (German) make an appearance every year. Some cultures only participate every few years, or less often. My mom noticed that the Bulgaria open house is a new addition.
Brochures are available, or you can view the schedule online. The times and dates are nicely spread apart, so even if there are two cultures you want to see in one day, you’ll be able to.
Let’s Explore the 2024 Edition of Folk Arts!
Ideally, I would’ve loved to attend every single open house, but unfortunately, that just wasn’t possible. I was able to attend a small handful, so here is a glimpse into some of the adventures.
Slovak Open House – May 4, 2024
This was the first open house we went to and it was awesome! The food tasted great, they had Slovakian dance groups, an arts and crafts area, and a section where you could try on traditional Slovakian clothing. The Slovaks had amazing desserts. If you haven’t noticed already, I have a pretty big sweet tooth. (Even though I’m already sweet enough.)
Polish Open House – May 10, 2024
Another open house I always look forward to is the Polish Open House, mainly because I love Pączki. They only had a small plate of them and they went fast. This open house was super packed and there was already a giant lineup for food as soon as they opened. I didn’t stick around long, so I’m not sure if they had any entertainment.
German Open House – May 14 and 19, 2024
I didn’t physically attend the German open house, but my parents brought takeout for me. My dad used to be president of the local German club, so he’s quite the celebrity when he goes there. He’s always granted VIP seating, a extremely large slice of Black Forest Cake, and if you’re lucky, you might even get an autograph.
I also learned a new fact. After being German my entire life, I didn’t know there was a difference between “torte” and “kuchen”. In North America, everything is referred to as cake. So I thought the two words were used interchangeably. Yea, apparently not. Even after a long conversation with my mom, and her giving me thousands of examples, I still have no idea what the difference is.
Whether it’s cake, or kuchen, or torte, or whatever else you want to call it, it’s out of this world. 100000/10 would recommend.
Ethiopian Open House – May 18, 2024
My poor dad was suffering at this one. He is not a fan of spicy food at all. One time, back in the day, I made a soup to share with the fam jam. I guess I used a little too much black pepper and he was breathing fire. I love him, but I refuse to cook for him.
Anyways, the food was a tad too spicy for his liking. The lentils were pretty spicy, but I powered through it. I also loved the chicken and the cabbage. Overall, it wasn’t too bad, but he needed a second lunch after that because he barely ate anything. The poor man.
Italian Open House – May 20, 2024
I’d never been to Club Roma before and I was blown away by how beautiful the building was. The main area where you could grab food was absolutely incredible. This is another popular one, where there’s already a huge lineup at the opening time. It’s so worth it! They have the best pasta I’ve ever had. I’m not sure what they put in their sauce, but wow, it’s unbelievable.
The Italian Open House is always top on my list. Their cookies are out of this world! I originally wanted to grab one pack but my dad convinced me to get two. Smart man. I never question his wisdom. I wanted to freeze some, but that was also a silly thought. They barely lasted a week.
See You Next Year!
This concludes another edition of the Daily Happenings. I hope you enjoyed seeing what’s new and exciting.
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