Folklorama 2012

This is the last week of Folklorama in Winnipeg. Last week Monday we went to the Portugal Pavilion. It was a disappointment. The entertainment was amateurish and my great disappointment was the food. We had pork on a bun. 2 thin patties of pork on a bun, no mustard, or anything else. It was dry. A hamburger would have been better. The beer was good.

Wednesday we visited the Chilean Pavilion. The food another disappointment. We ate Chicken Empanadas, which to me are nothing but Pizza puffs. A large pocket of dough filled with chicken pieces in sauce. It was hot (oven-hot). I had been looking forward to a nice dinner, since Monday was such a disappointment. I could have had the dinner, which consisted of three Empanadas. One filled with chicken, the other with pork, and a third one with cheese. I don’t know what I expected, but I thought Chilean food was better than that. At least the entertainment was not disappointing. Besides local performers they also had a group, I believe, from Toronto. We enjoyed that performance. Very professional and entertaining.

Tonight we went to the Cuban Pavilion. We ate Pork loin (a bit tough, unfortunately), rice with beans, and salad. And drank a bottle of beer with that. My wife and I were happy with the food. The best though was the entertainment. None of the entertainers were professionals, but they put on a great show. Such talent! We watched them dance different dances. All of the girls were beautiful and the guys handsome. And the show was quite long. We left the Pavilion happy and felt we received value for our money.

We would have liked to go to more shows, but it can become costly. It cost $6.00 per person to get into one Pavilion. And the food is actually a bit overpriced when compared to fast food restaurants. Years ago it was more affordable.

This weekend is the Lockport Dam Festival here in Lockport, but they are charging an admission of $10.00 to get in. That’s not worth it to us. We were there two years ago and didn't have to pay anything. They even had a free shuttle bus taking people from one side of the river to the other. Now they are charging admission. We may just drive to Stonewall. They have a festival going on this weekend also and it is free.

We might go to watch the Fireworks, though, in Lockport on Saturday. Probably from our car parked on the street. I don’t feel like paying for it. This is supposed to be a community event, not a moneymaker.

Am I a cheapskate?