The return of the Festival of Nations to Chatham is something that has been kicked around for a while.
In its time, it was a very successful celebration of the different foods and culture that makes up our community. From food to dance to art to music – there was plenty of entertainment to make it interesting for people to come out and enjoy.
Hopefully, the organizers of the new Festival of Nations will continue in that theme – a celebration of the diverse cultures we are have in Chatham-Kent. Our community seems to have a successful formula for our special events – you find a niche and you stick to it.
With RetroFest, it’s all about the cars – presented in a fun way to car enthusiasts and newbies alike. They do it up right and stay true to the car theme.
Ditto for WAMBO – antique boats and vintage vehicles.
That formula holds true for any event, and the recent Hockeytown experience exemplifies it as well. All-hockey themed events for enthusiasts and those who like a well-organized party make for great entertainment.
Problems tend to occur when a theme is diluted because the organizers are trying to appeal to everyone. When that happens, you usually end up with disappointed people on all fronts because you can’t please everyone.
Stick to your theme and do it up right.
With Festival of Nations, there is a wealth of opportunities to involve all the different cultures we are blessed to have in our community. Dutch, French, Italian, Irish, Scottish, Indian, Muslim, Asian, Greek, Portuguese, Native Canadian, you name it – we have so many cultures to learn from and enjoy.
The fact the Festival will be part of our Canada Day celebrations is a great fit. What better way to celebrate what makes us proud to be Canadian than showcasing the cultural mosaic that makes our country so great?
It’s a win-win for everyone.
