8th Latvian Song Festival in Toronto 6 July 1986 1/2 (1986)

The procession of the 8th song festival of expatriate Latvians in Canada, held in central Toronto on July 6, 1986. The festival is dedicated to the 750th anniversary of the Battle of Saule. The brass band leads the procession, followed by choirs and dance groups, everyone wearing Latvian national costumes. Latvian groups from USA (from Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, NYC etc.) have joined the Canadian Latvians. The celebrating mood of performers is spreading also to the people in the street, they are saluting and greeting the procession. Brass band is playing, songs in Latvian are being sung here and there, folk dancers take dancing steps to liven up the procession. The participants' faces express national dignity and pride for their national culture that they keep alive while living abroad, far from their fatherland.