National Indigenous People’s Day was celebrated Friday as the first of what is hoped to be many Nish-Stravaganza’s took over Meridian Place for traditional Indigenous song and dance.
Nish-Stravaganza was hosted by the Barrie Native Friendship Centre (BNFC) in the public space in downtown Barrie with performances on the Wildfire-Peacock Stage and craft vendors circled around the area.
By 6 p.m., there were more than 100 people in the square taking in the sights and sounds, much to the delight of the BNFC’s Angela Knowlton.
“I’m very happy with the turnout so far, especially being the first event,” she said. “A lot of work went into this, so seeing people come out to be a part of it is really uplifting. There are many people here from Indigenous communities, but what is really great to see is the amount of non-Indigenous people here to take in the performances.
"This crowd is encouraging as we really feel like as the years go on we will only get bigger and open the doors to relationships in the community," Knowlton added.
The Nish-Stravaganza had a lot of planning by the BNFC and received help for the department of Canadian Heritage, Barrie Rotary Club, Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services, and other organizations.
The event saw many traditional songs and dance alongside popular acts such as Shawn Waters, Twin Flames and the headliner Logan Staats, who starred on The Launch.
While Nish-Stravaganza was about entertaining the crowd, the event holds deeper meaning as well.
“It's not only a way to celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day with the first Nish-Stravaganza, which will become an annual event, but also to celebrate the summer solstice and longest day of the year,” Knowlton said.
“The solstice is an important day to the Indigenous communities and this was a great way to gather and honour all the varied peoples that live not just in Canada, but our immediate region," she added.
