NIAGARA FOLK ARTS FESTIVAL LINEUP

The celebration begins Thursday with the sold-out Ambassador Ball at Club Roma, introducing the festival’s cultural ambassadors to the community.

The festival continues Friday at 5 p.m., with a new event called

Stone SoupStock, at Robertson Hall (The Robby), 85 Church St., featuring multicultural soups prepared by seven teams of chefs, as well as local musicians performing live, and craft beer and wine.

The festival opening ceremonies take place Saturday, starting at 10:30 a.m., featuring participants in cultural dress raising the Niagara Folk Arts Festival flag for the 50th time.

The event kicks off a weekend of activities at The Robby, including an International Children’s and Family Area, an opportunity to contribute to a Multicultural Garden City Mural that will be installed at the Write Book Store in downtown St. Catharines, and a celebration of Caribbean culture with live reggae music performed by Lazo, Saturday, starting at 5 p.m.

Additional events planned throughout the month including Taste Oh Canada! May 11 at 5 p.m., at The Robby, Youth Day on Friday, May 18, starting at 9 a.m. at Montebello Park, the Underground Railroad Experience on May 19, starting at 10 a.m. at locations throughout Niagara, and a Citizenship Ceremony on Thursday, May 24, at 2 p.m., at The Robby.

A 50th anniversary black-tie gala is being planned for late November.