Held in Elliston Park this year in Calgary, GlobalFest is a celebration that is much more than simply fireworks. It is a way to connect with others and embrace the multicultural diversity that we have within our city.
The park opens each evening at 6pm, allowing visitors to explore all that the festival has to offer. It brings together over sixty cultures and is a great way to learn about others and broaden your perspective. You can taste the varied range of traditional food items, visit the pavilions to see heritage clothing, cultural music, and performances, and stroll through the night market, purchasing goods and keepsakes. There are also citizenship ceremonies taking place where you can welcome one hundred individuals as new Canadians!
Once the sun begins to set, the main evening performance commences: the fireworks! This year, the fireworks display is judged on the following, as stated on the GlobalFest website:
* Quality of the display
* Originality of the artistic concept: music and staging
* Colour brilliance and richness
* 25% of the music used is native to the country presenting
* Synchronization between music, sound effects, and fireworks
* The team’s use of a compulsory piece: “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
* Scope of the work
Attending on Tuesday night, the host country was China. Their firework display left me absolutely breathless. They used effects, colours, and unique fireworks that I had never seen before. In my opinion, they aced it!
The festival runs from August 15th to August 24th, leaving you two more days to visit: Thursday, August 20, where Canada will be showcased, and Sunday, August 24th, when the finale will be held.
Out With Erin 