REGINA — Mosaic – A Festival of Culture has returned, with 15 pavilions representing their respective areas.
Each pavilion brings forth the history, culture, cuisine and more.
For the first day, SaskToday had the chance to speak with six pavilions located at the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL).
Hellenic Greek
The Hellenic Greek pavilion is being organized by the St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Community of Regina.
“We’re now offering mocktails as well as our signature cocktails. We’ve got a kids’ corner and a cultural center where you can learn about Greece,” said senior ambassador for the Hellenic Greek pavilion, Katerina Hofer.
Hofer mentioned any culture is important, and the Greeks have stayed tight-knit through the years.
She described Mosaic as a great festival for integrating cultures from civilians to ambassadors.
Hofer recommends anyone visiting the pavilion try the Souvlaki or Pita.
Hispanic
The Hispanic pavilion is being run by the Hispanos en Regina.
“This year, we have an entire atmosphere surrounding the World Cup, which is completely different than last year,” said Jose Rivas, Hispanic pavilion manager.
Rivas said this festival gives people a chance to explore and understand Central and South America better. ”We feel the Hispanic community is underrepresented.”
As for Mosaic, he called it “very unique in many ways.”
“It’s an entire city that comes in for the next three days.“
Anyone attending the Hispanic pavilion is encouraged to check out the food and dancing, said Rivas.
Kyiv Ukrainian
The Kyiv Ukrainian pavilion is being hosted by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Regina Branch.
Kyiv Ukrainian pavilion manager Oksanna Zwarych said the event includes artifacts from Ukraine, a cultural display, a new slushy called the Slava slushy and more.
As for culture, Zwarych said, “we need to teach them about it because, number one, history repeats itself.”
For Zwarych, Mosaic is a “cross-section” since it has many cultures from across Canada.
Zwarych recommends anyone attending the pavilion check out a band from Ukraine.
Philippine
The Philippine pavilion is being run by the Philippine Association of Saskatchewan Regina Corp.
“We have a vibrant Filipino community here offering various Filipino foods and drinks. We [also] have an art exhibit showcasing Filipino artists, said Alvin Pulga, public relations officer with the Filipino Association of Saskatchewan.
Pulga said this event brings forth multiculturalism and lets people celebrate everyone’s differences.
He also said it’s impressive how big Mosaic is considering the size of Regina.
For anyone checking out the pavilion, Pulga recommends the Filipino barbecue.
Scottish
The Scottish pavilion is being organized by the Regina Highland Dance Association.
“We’ve got highland dancers [and] we’ve got bagpipers, said Scottish pavilion manager James Bryanton. He added, “we’ve [also] got a lot of the classics, Scotch eggs, Haggis and the Haggis Poutine.”
Bryanton said learning about your culture is important to keep it alive and hold events like these.
As for Mosaic, Bryanton said it truly brings the city together, and other municipalities have approached the Regina Multicultural Council about seeing how this event can be successful.
Anyone checking out the Scottish pavilion is recommended to check out the highland dance, said Bryanton.
Spirit of China
The Spirit of China pavilion is being organized by the Spirit of China.
The pavilion has opened up their space to other cultures, not running in this year’s Mosaic festival, including performances from Polish and Romanian groups, said Ginger Merk, the decorator, designer and stage manager of the Spirit of China pavilion.
As for culture, Merk stressed the importance of “learning from each other and teaching each other and being together.”
She described Mosaic as “travelling the world in three days.”
“What’s better than that?”
Merk recommends anyone attending the Spirit of China pavilion try the Chinese firewater.
SaskToday will continue its coverage of the Mosaic festival on Friday.
More information about the festival can be found here.
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