Cultures in the City returns with new cultures

The Globe and Mail once described Steinbach as a “hot bed” for immigration in Canada and a model of integration. Nothing could be a better example of that than Cultures in the City, which premieres during Summer in the City.

“I actually think that cultures in the city is something that people really look forward to with the festival,” said Tessa Masi, spokesperson for Cultures in the City. “Having the opportunity to grab cultural food while sitting and watching some dancers or listening to music is just a really unique experience, and it’s helping us to see how Steinbach continues to grow in a multicultural way.”

There will be 17 different cultural acts this year, some returning and some new to the Steinbach stage. New this year is a Scandinavian dance group, a Ukrainian singing group, and Peruvian dance group the Inka Warriors.

“The culture performers turnover every half hour or 45 minutes, so if you come and you sit at the stage area for two hours you would see multiple groups in that time,” said Masi.

For those who are hungry and want to try something different, there are 10 food vendors this year catering to appetites ranging from Filipino, Chinese, Paraguayan barbecue, and the popular heart shaped waffles with white sauce from the Mennonite Heritage Village stall.

“I want people to know that showcasing culture is a really important part of our diverse community. Understanding different cultures and having an awareness and acceptance of how diverse our community is becoming is really important,” said Masi.

Performances start at 5 p.m. on Friday and will run all day on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.