Photo Essay: Carassauga 2009.

With my Carassauga Passport in tow, I ventured into the Hershey Centre complex today to visit the Philippines, India, Cyprus, Croatia, Egypt & Africa pavilions.

In the last few hours of Mississauga’s cultural festival, the crowds have moved on after experiencing nearly 40 different cultures over the span of a weekend. Vendors and volunteers alike have time to reflect and relax after a weekend of an estimated quarter-million guests.

A man stands proudly at his African Jewelery booth in the African Pavilion. Africa was by far the most lively and energetic of the pavilions at the Hershey Centre complex, complete with African drum-led-story telling, hand-carved wooden idols, and tropical cocktails served in a freshly cut coconut.

The Egyptian Pavilion was located in the largest available area in the Hershey Centre, the main rink. It featured a large stage with dozens of vendors flanking each side. Here, a woman negotiates with a customer over the price of some hand-crafted jewelry.

A mother and daughter sit at their silk booth in the Indian Pavilion at the Hershey Centre for Carassauga 2009. Family was an undeniable element at Carassauga this year. As most vendors were small family-run businesses, it was the families that were the faces of the many vendors selling traditional culture-specific delicacies and curiosities.

A vendor at the Africa Pavilion watches a dramatic performance by an African power-drummer.

A mother attempts to keep her restless daughter occupied as Carassauga draws to a close Sunday night. The festival saw some 3,000 volunteers participating in 39 pavilions over the span of three days. Carassauga is in its twenty-fourth year and on average receives some quarter-million guests every year. photos/matthew filipowich