How Carrousel Began

In June 1974, The Arts Committee of Windsor, through the help of a $3,500 grant from the Ministry of Culture and Recreation, presented Windsor’s first Multicultural Festival. Twenty-seven groups participated at St. Clair College’s Patterson Campus offering three days of folk arts, crafts and food. A concert at the Cleary Auditorium was held for the weekend’s finale with eighteen groups performing to a house attendance of over 800. The festival was regarded as a success and is the inspiration for Carrousel of the Nations.

In 1975, with co-operation from the Freedom Festival, a downtown bazaar was held in the Cleary Auditorium parking lot with fourteen ethnic food booths and a large exhibit of cultural artifacts were displayed in the Cleary Skyline Room. 1976 saw a cultural grants program being announced by the Ontario Government, inviting all groups to submit proposals for Cultural Olympics.

Formal planning began in February 1976 with the date for the June 18th weekend and the concept of separate villages confirmed. Every year there are events leading up to Carrousel and during the second and third weekends in June, Carrousel of the Nations takes place.

In 1999 an Expo to the World was held at Windsor’s Festival Plaza site on the river. This event gathered together the ethno-food, music, dance and arts and crafts in one place giving birth to Expo by the River a preview to Carrousel of the Nations.

Carrousel of the Nations will be celebrating it’s 33rd Anniversary in 2008 with the kick off of Carrousel by the River on June 13-14-15 and Carrousel of the Nation on June 20-21-22 and 27-28-29. The Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County has changed the name of Expo to Carrousel by the River to join the two events as one.