The 51st annual Multicultural Festival took over Victoria Park in Kitchener this weekend.
Last year about 50-thousand people showed up for the festival, and organizers say this year it’s been sitting at about 50 per cent of that number.
“The dedicated folks come with their umbrellas and raincoats,” said Lucia Harrison, the CEO of the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre.
Chisomo Mchaina of Zamtan African Foods has been serving up dishes at the festival for more than a decade.
She says she usually sees no seating and long lines at the festival, but this year the rain has definitely put a damper on things.
“You’re running a business so at the end of the day you do have to at least break even, if not make profit, and I don't think that's going to be the case this year,” Mchaina says.
The event features music, food, dance performances, an international market place, and more.
Organizers say it takes a lot of effort to put on a festival of this size and it’s too hard to cancel on a few days’ notice due to the weather.
