Our festival started in 2015 as the Northumberland Multicultural Festival, with a focus on celebrating the diversity of nationalities and cultures in our community. However, we soon realized that there were many other minority groups that also needed recognition and celebration.
As a result, in 2020, we transitioned our festival to become the Northumberland Diversity Festival & Gourmet Ethno-Food Truck Fair. We made a commitment to include not only nationalities and cultures, but also individuals from minority groups such as First Nations, Women, Youth, and Disabled Individuals.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 festival had to be cancelled. However, we didn't let this setback stop us. In 2021, we reinvented ourselves and offered the festival in a digital format, which was a huge success. We were even honored with the Events and Festivals Ontario Excellence Award!
In 2022, we were thrilled to be able to offer the festival in person at the Victoria Hall, which included a Citizenship Ceremony for 100 new Canadian citizens and their families. It was a truly special moment, and we felt proud to be able to play a small part in welcoming these individuals to our community.
Looking ahead to 2023, we're excited to raise the bar once again and continue celebrating our differences. We hope to see you there, whether in person or online, as we come together to celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and the many things that make us unique. Thank you for joining us on this journey!
As far back as the early 1800s Cobourg's main beach was used as a stopover location for travellers along the Lake Ontario's north shore. The beach was a place of stopover and encampment, especially at the west end of the beach where the large stream entered the lake. This area was mainly used as a entry point. The founding of the Cobourg, Peterborough and Marmora Railway and Mining Corporation in 1866 helped revitalize commercial activity in the waterfront and attracted American industrialists and eventually led to a new chapter in the Town's history known as the American Summer Colony. The summer visitors created a wave of new grand hotels to be built in the areas just north of the shoreline and around Victoria Park. Hotels like the Arlington, on King Street at the top of Victoria Park, the Columbian, on McGill Street and the Cedamere Hotel, at the south end of Ontario Street, were examples of Cobourg trying to meet the demands of its newest boom industry, tourism. The Arlington was right at the top of Victoria Park and was a perfect setting. The park then was just one long lawn which belonged to the hotel. The grass just eventually connected to the beach. What is now Victoria Park and considered "the crown jewel" of Cobourg was actually privately owned in 1874 but still accessible to the public. Over the years subsequent improvements included the mini-golf course, ongoing upgrades to the bandshell, the walkway through the park, installation of the new splash pad and the recently built Lions-Lioness Pavilion in the park.
Source: https://images.ourontario.ca/Cobourg/19355/data