CultureFest 2025

The annual celebration, hosted by the Cochrane Immigrant Services Committee (CISC), takes place Sept. 6 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and is free to attend. Organizers expect 25 cultural groups and up to 14 performances this year, ranging from music and dance to storytelling.

The list of participating cultures stretches across the globe, including Syria, the Philippines, India, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Finland, Ukraine, England, the Netherlands, Mexico, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, and two First Nations.

Performances will feature artists from Argentina, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Scotland, Thailand, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Vietnam, with an opening performance by First Nations dancers.

This year, visitors can pick up a world map at the entrance and collect stickers as they visit each booth, a twist on the “passport” concept used in past years. Free face painting and children’s activities will also be available.