The tents are up in Hawrelak Park for the 53rd Heritage Festival in Edmonton, which has returned to the river valley park after a three-year absence.
“This festival is one like no other in the world,” said Edmonton Heritage Festival Association executive director Rob Rohatyn.
“It’s a festival where we can all come together, set aside our political differences, celebrate our shared humanity.”
This long weekend, the fest expects to welcome around 300,000 people to the park to embrace the tastes, smells, sights and sounds of more than 60 countries and cultures across 65 pavilions.
“They come with their pure heart and passion and desire to share their beautiful cultures with our community and the world,” Rohatyn said.
Three years ago, the festival was relocated to Borden Park while Hawrelak underwent extensive renovations.
“It’s very much a homecoming for us this weekend after three years in a temporary space.”
The Heritage Festival is also a big weekend for Edmonton’s Food Bank.
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“We want to be part of that celebration of heritage and culture in our community, and it always raises lots of food and money for us,” said executive director Marjorie Bencz.
This year, the food bank is focusing on collecting monetary donations.
“We are encouraging people to save their back and leave their pack at their local grocery store of non-perishable food items,” Bencz said.
“If they do bring it down, we have a little bit less capacity as far as trucking down here, so that’s why we’re trying to encourage people to make monetary donations to us if they can.”
With no public parking on site, visitors are asked to take advantage of ETS Park and Ride services and drop-off locations outside Hawrelak Park.
The weather is also top of mind for the festival. With the intense storms that have rolled through this summer, Rohatyn said they are constantly monitoring conditions.
“We do have an emergency response plan in place, we have procedures that are ready to be activated if severe weather were to come near to us,” Rohatyn noted.
The festival runs Aug. 1 to 3.
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