A celebration of cultures will be taking over Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge.
This year marks the ninth annual Canadian Multiculturalism Day, put on by the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Katzie Local Immigration Partnership, and there will be a whopping 18 culture pavilions.
Triple what they had in the past, said Carolina Echeverri, with the immigration centre.
Countries will include Indonesia, Rwanda, El Salvador, Mexico, Philippines, Peru, South Korea, India, and more.
“The demographics in our community have changed so much,” explained Echeverri about the variety of countries that will be represented.
There will also be a Canadian culture pavilion this year.
“Which is fantastic,” said.
Each pavilion will feature traditional displays and activities.
For example, said Echeverri, the Mexican pavilion will have a display of the Dia de los Muertos, a display of artists, and traditional Mexican children’s games.
The Kiwanis Club of Golden Ears is also sponsoring a culture passport which festival goers can take with them to each pavilion and have stamped. Then they can enter their completed passports into a draw for some great local prizes.
Multicultural performances will be taking place throughout the day, there will be a multicultural fashion show, people can pin a map to show where in the world they were born, there will be multicultural food trucks on site, plenty of children’s activities and family fun, community resources and information, and a Holi colour celebration and foam party.
There will also be free Zumba and salsa dance demonstrations.
Echeverri is excited about how much the festival has grown over the past nine years.
Last year between 3,000 and 4,000 people attended last year.
Echeverri is hoping for 5,000 this year.
Canadian Multiculturalism Day takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, in Memorial Peace Park, on 224 Street, between Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road.