Festival du Voyageur was in its final day of its 44th year on Sunday.
The weather was beautiful as the festival drew to a close.
“We come every year, and we get the pass and the whole family and come four or five times,” said one happy patron.
The ten-day festival highlights Franco-Manitoban history and culture.
This year, it drew in thousands of people. Irina Ivanov Bissonnette, marketing director for the festival, said, “We’re hoping that we can reach last year’s (numbers). Last year was about 95,000. We’re hoping to beat that this year.”
From traditional music to Riel look-alikes to beard-growers, there’s something at the event for everyone.
On the final day, the festival received a surprise gift from the federal government: $124,000 to help renovate Fort Gibraltar.
Shelly Glover, MP for St. Boniface, says she hopes the money helps them grow year after year to help share the culture and heritage of the event.
Ginette Lavack Walters, Festival du Voyageur executive director, says they’ll use the money to repair the structures and cabins and add in new foundations.
Construction will begin on the fort as early as this summer.
Preparations are already underway for next year's festival. Organizers won't let on what they have planned, but it’s a sure bet that staples like open fires and tobogganing will be back again next year.
