First annual Somali Cultural Festival being held Saturday at Ottawa City Hall
Ottawa's first Somali festival is happening this Saturday.
The Somali Culture Festival will take place at Jean Pigott Place inside City Hall from 12 to 6 p.m., and will feature Somali food, dancing, music and other entertainment, according to a media release issued Wednesday.
The Somali Student Association from Carleton University will perform a cultural dance and fashion show, and the creators of a Toronto-based Somali podcast called Sheeko Sheeko will host a live panel discussion to close off the festival.
There will be face painting, a kids' zone and other family-centric activities for children, as well as a BBQ in Lisgar Field, rain or shine.
'We hope that this celebration will be a long-lasting ritual'
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said in a 2016 year-end interview that there were discussions about hosting a Somali festival in part to improve relations with the Somali community after a troubled year.
"There's discussion that maybe we should work together to have a Somali festival — just as we have a Greek festival or an Italian festival — and showcase Somali art and cuisine and entrepreneurship. And I'm looking forward to working with the community over the course of the next year," he said in December.
In Wednesday's release, Watson is quoted saying that the festival "is a great way to recognize and highlight the community's important contributions in our city, and to celebrate Somali culture and heritage."
Bille Abdalla, the youth department manager at the Somali Centre for Family Services, is quoted saying that they're proud to bring a new annual tradition to the city.
"We are happy to see our cultures celebrated and showcased for the first time at City Hall. With the support of the city and our community, we hope that this celebration will be a long-lasting ritual in Ottawa," Abdalla said.
