CISC hosts annual CultureFest on September 12

CultureFest 2026 will feature 26 cultural exhibits, up from 16 in 2019, highlighting the growing diversity of Cochrane. CultureFest continues to showcase the cultures that make up Cochrane, but a recent discovery suggests the annual event is only scratching the surface of the community's diversity. There will be 26 cultural exhibits at CultureFest 2026, up from 16 cultures represented in 2019. Caroline Barclay, booth and program coordinator, says there are still many more cultures to discover. 'During our official survey of how many countries are represented in last year's event, we had about 52,' she said, explaining that visitors were asked to pin the country they were from on a map brought to the event. 'There are even more cultures and I only got half of them.' As Cochrane grows, Barclay says the different backgrounds and perspectives of its residents provide opportunities for newcomers and long-time residents to connect. 'Our mandate is to support the integration and settlement of newcomers, but it goes beyond that,' said Barclay. 'We support them with what they need by referring them to different service agencies, but beyond that, we are also trying to connect them with long-term residents to get to know each other.' Barclay points to the success of the organization's most recent programming, Cultural Cooking Without Borders, as an example of how newcomers and long-time residents can connect. 'It's for the newcomers to know more about the Canadian culture and for Canadians to know more about the different cultures,' she said. 'That, to me, warms my heart because when I see them connect, exchange notes with recipes and traditions, it shows how we are supposed to be; working and living together harmoniously.' Last year's CultureFest featured 25 exhibitors, with Senegal joining the lineup this year. 'We were able to meet someone that came last year as an attendee and they expressed interest to be a part of CultureFest,' said Barclay. 'We keep on adding and adding because we wanted the different cultures to be represented here.' The exhibitors represent a wide range of cultures, from the neighbouring Stoney Nakoda Nation to Senegal, South Korea, Finland, Mexico and more. 'It's like a mosaic,' said Barclay. 'We represent different places but we all fit together.' The celebration will feature 15 cultural performances, remarks from local dignitaries, food and prizes. CultureFest is a free event at the SLS Centre from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12.