'Better than expected.'
That's how the executive director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor & Essex County is describing the opening weekend of Carrousel of the Nations.
Fred Francis says villages saw record crowds over the past three days with some villages selling out by one o'clock.
"People in Windsor-Essex like going to Carrousel," says Francis. "They like experiencing the different foods, the different music, the different dancing and just spending time together outside in an enjoyable setting. It's really a great festival that we have in Windsor-Essex."
He says the weather helped out but also shows the popularity of Carrousel.
"The reports I've been getting last night on Sunday night and so far early this morning on Monday have been record crowds," he says. "More so we've been hearing from some of the villages, the more traditional villages the Polish, the Greek for example and we're hearing reports of more people than they've ever seen before in any past Carrousel so that's always good."
Francis says the new villages were also a hit.
"Some of the new villages like Korean, Nepali-Bhutanese we went there and they had great crowds, in some cases they sold out before even 1 o'clock in the afternoon," says Francis. "So we couldn't be more happier at the Multicultural Council with the first weekend of Carrousel."
This year's Carrousel features 25 villages.
Some villages open both weekends, while some open for only one.