Festival of Neighbourhoods holds 30th anniversary celebration in Kitchener
The Festival of Neighbourhoods at Kitchener City Hall on Nov. 19, 2023.
It was a celebration three decades in the making at Kitchener City Hall on Sunday.
The "Festival of Neighbourhoods" marked its 30th anniversary and has seen 250 distinct neighbourhoods take part over that time, according to organizers.
"Those neighbourhoods might be a small one within a larger one, overlap to the next, and this creates this weave of neighbourhoods across our city that really strengthens all the ties and the relationships," said organizer John MacDonald.
The idea was originally inspired by a European movement that encourages people to reach out, whether they live on large city blocks or are apart of apartment and condo organizations.
"The core of the festival is about being inclusive, developing tolerance and understanding, and meeting people who are unlike yourself," said MacDonald. "At the end of the year we gather all these diverse neighbourhoods here at city hall to celebrate what they've achieved and also to celebrate the community."
The event also included a draw for two $20,000 improvement fund prizes. The money can be used towards projects like park benches, picnic tables, murals, and improvements to green spaces.
Correction
This article has been corrected to make clear the event included a draw for two $20,000 improvement fund prizes, not two $2,000 prizes as previously reported.
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