Sun shines on Huron Multicultural Festival after threat of rain
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
It threatened to rain in Goderich early on Saturday morning, which meant that Huron County’s 12th annual Multicultural Festival almost had to move most of its festivities indoors. Fortunately, the weather held out throughout most of the day, allowing the colourful celebration to carry on outside, on The Square, as planned.
Every year, the Multicultural Festival brings together hundreds of locals and tourists to appreciate a plethora of cultural delights, like free musical performances and demonstrations of traditional dance. There are also arts and crafts vendors, and, of course, a variety of food booths.
One of the most enjoyable ways to experience an element of a different country is through the traditional foods eaten by the people who live there. The food we eat is full of clues to humanity’s past - our cuisines reflect the history and logic of the places from where they come, be it the joyful fusion of exploration, the painful friction of oppression, the austerity of wartime, or the opulence of victory and prosperity. Hundreds of years worth of migratory patterns can exist together in a single meal. Visitors to the Multicultural Festival had a lot of hard choices to make when it came to choosing which delectable dishes to sample - there were just too many options for any one person to possibly try them all.
There was chicken and vegetable pancit, lumpia Shanghai, binangkal, mango salad, beef kaldereta, barbecue pork ribs, and sisig - and that’s all just from the two booths serving Filipino food! Both groups wisely offered a sampler plate that had a little bit of everything for the indecisive. The pork sisig, made by The White Carnation out of Holmesville, was particularly delicious. It was served with steamed rice, green pickled papaya and cucumber - a perfectly balanced dish particular to the Philippines. Sisig is a resourceful, thoughtful dish that combines the humblest parts of the pig - its jowls, ears, and belly, together into a savoury delight that is traditionally enjoyed alongside a cold beer. It goes just as well with the sweet and sour citrus flavour of the calamansi juice being served by the White Carnation.
The Curry Corner from Exeter offered a variety of bright and flavourful curries, including the always popular butter chicken, vegetable korma and chana masala, all of which are excellent examples of traditional Indian dishes that have been successfully adapted for the palates of people from all around the world. They also served some classic chat, or chaat, which literally translates to lick, tasting, delicacy. Chats are the perfect self-contained snack or light meal, easy to grab on the go from a stand or a small shop. The Curry Corner brought chat culture to the Festival with crispy dahi puri and samosa chat. Mango lassi was also available for those looking to cool down after experiencing The Curry Corner’s authentic Indian spices.
The good folks from Goderich’s own Maple Leaf Motel were representing Pakistan in The Square’s International Food Court on Saturday. They also brought their chat A-game, with delicious gol gappay, chana chat, and chat Papri. Those looking for a more substantial nosh found themselves more than satisfied with the motel’s take on chicken tikka, which had a deep red, crispy skin that looked incredibly tasty.
But would getting a chicken tikka mean one would have to forego the food creating the heavenly aroma available from Kwahla’s Kitchen, located one booth over? Kwahla’s Syrian take-out operation has been one of Goderich’s worst kept secrets for several years, and her succulent chicken shawarma is not to be missed. Other Syrian options on offer included dawood basha, which sold out quickly, and falafel wraps.
The Ukrainian stall was serving up savoury European comfort food like cabbage rolls and pierogies, but those working there also made sure to honour their national sweet tooth with fresh crepes, waffle cakes and whimsical peach cookies. The peach cookies, which look very much like real, sugar-covered peaches, seem at first as though they are too large to be called a cookie. But the cookie comes apart easily, along the “seam” of the “peach”, revealing a delicious dulce de leche filling - it’s perfect for sharing with someone special, which explains why they are a popular treat at weddings.
Before the live entertainment started, Huron County Warden Glen McNeil spoke to the crowd about how heartening it was to see so many different dishes selling well, and even selling out in some cases. He emphasized that Huron County is a place where everybody belongs, and everybody is accepted.
Saturday’s live entertainment had so many powerful and engaging performances. Things got off to a lively start with The Ukwehuwe Connection - a dance troupe that features three generations of an Oneida family and showcases their culture and storytelling through traditional dance. They got the crowd moving with some simple dance moves, and showed off their more intricate footwork on the shipwreck-inspired performance stage.
Acts like the Cracovia Polish Folk Dance Ensemble delighted one and all with their high-energy and often humorous performance of polkas and other traditional dances specific to different villages across Poland.
Indonesian dancers Nyai Rondha put on a dramatic display that told the story of a knight battling a ferocious dragon through dance. It may not have ended well for the knight, but it was a thrilling pageant to observe!
Other inspiring acts included CalúJules, a flamenco troupe that brought its moves from Kitchener-Waterloo, and TDot Batu, who came all the way from Toronto with a bright brand of danceable Afro-Brazilian music.
Each individual culture that was represented at the Huron County Multicultural Festival was unique and amazing in its own way, but what made the event truly special was how it all came together. Where else could you get lumpia and dip it in Indian tamarind chutney? Or get an intricate henna tattoo while you watch a gilded dragon menace a crowd? It’s a good thing that all are welcome in Huron County - we can do so much more together.