It’s the first day of the Brantford International Villages Festival tonight. The first of four days filled with food, fun, and friends. This year there are 17 total villages to go and explore the various cultures. From food to fashion to music and dance you can just enjoy your afternoons and evenings and fill yourself up with life. Our own Richard Huskisson has been enjoying villages for years, including the year which produced this particular memory:
Richard Huskisson celebrating his Scottish heritage at the Scottish Village hall in 2014.
Keep checking back for updates on any adventures Richard gets up to at this years festival.
Most villages will be open Wednesday & Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Friday & Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. And while it might be tempting to go and tackle every village that’s on offer this year, take our advice – Pace Yourself! There is only so much time and so very much to do. While the villages also will again have free transportation between them, making it easier to get from one to the next, it isn’t required to do more than one or two a night. For those unfamiliar; the passport which you can get at each village is good for all villages for all four days and includes a map of the city with village locations, as well as hours and show times for each village where you can enjoy cultural entertainment including music, dancing, unique cuisine and beverages plus cultural displays of costumes and history. Most locations are wheelchair accessible.
The 17 Villages this year are:
- Atlantic Canada Village, Moose Lodge – 145 West Street
- British Village, Army, Navy & Air Force Club, 645 Colborne Street
- Caribbean Village, Royal Canadian Legion Br #90, Victory Hall, 21 Oak Street
- Chinese Village, Tollgate Technological Skills Centre, 112 Tollgate Road
- Fiesta Pinoy, St. Mary’s Parish Hall, 133 Murray Street
- German Village, Sonnenhof Hall, 194 Henry Street
- Hungarian Village, Hungarian Hall, 104 Albion Street
- India Village, Brantford & District Civic Centre, Market Street South
- Italian Village, Rossini Lodge, 140 Grey Street
- Latin America, Brant Curling Club, 34 Morrell St.
- Muslim Village, Muslim Association of Brantford, 192 Greenwich Street
- New York, New York, Dunsdon Legion, 9 Toll Gate Road
- Philippine Village, Sydenham Street Church, 120 Sydenham Street
- Polish Polonaise, Polish Hall, 154 Pearl Street
- Polish Warszawa, Polish Alliance Hall, 126 Albion Street
- Scottish Village, Brantford Air Force Club, 144 Grey Street
- The Ukrainian Village, Harmony United Church, 268 Marlborough Street
Each of them have their own style of fun and food to explore! Pick your ideal visits, plan your route and where you will eat and which shows you want to see, and always remember to enjoy any alcohol in moderation. But once you have everything all set? Go forth and create your own memories!
Leave a Reply