After a year away, Motif will be back to celebrate Moose Jaw’s diverse local community.
The Motif Multicultural Festival will return from July 12-14 at Happy Valley Park. The annual event took a year’s hiatus when organizers found that it was “not economically and administratively feasible to hold the event” in 2018.
“They missed it last year and we did too. We had a few tears over it,” said Mary Tkach Vangsnes, a director with Motif Moose Jaw Multicultural Festival Inc.
The Motif directors have been hitting the pavement to get the word out and also canvass the local business community looking for support in the form of being willing to volunteer or sponsor.
“We’ve been going around to local businesses looking for support,” said Gerry Wadsworth, who is also a director with Motif.
“This is the first time we’ve had to ask,” Tkach Vangsnes said. “We’ve always had just enough funds to cover us with some additional funding that we got a little later, but since we didn’t finish off so well last year we have to do a little thinking. We’re hoping some local businesses can help support us or help us with volunteerism; get some volunteers to help with some of the jobs that we have that way they can partake and enjoy the festival.”
The Motif organizers are expecting to add two or three new groups this year that have come forward and expressed interest. The event features food, dance, art and music from various groups representing different ethnic communities.
“It’s easily accessible and we’re hoping that some of the old folks have a chance to come down too because it is local. It’s not like you have to drive out of town,” Tkach Vangsnes said.
“It’s not like Regina where you have to drive from this place to that place,” Wadsworth said. “It’s in one place. It’s outdoors and nature usually cooperates.”
Motif is hiring a festival co-ordinator to help run the event and have posted the position on the Saskjobs site.
“Some of the applicants have submitted their resumes and we’re hoping for some more,” Tkach Vangsnes said.
Their annual general meeting will be Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council offices upstairs.
“Hopefully we can get some new members on the board that are gung ho and ready to get at ’er,” Wadsworth said.
