Cultivating Community: 204 Winnipeg Hosts Annual Upo Fest

The September air carried a crisp edge as the Filipino community gathered for the annual Upo Fest, a celebration centered around the cultivation of gourds and backyard agriculture. Hosted by 204 Winnipeg, the community advocacy and safety organization founded by Leila Castro, the event brought residents together to display a wide variety of harvested vegetables, including bitter melon, eggplant, and unusually large bottle gourds.

At the center of the festivities was Leila Castro, running to be school trustee in the Seven Oaks, Ward 2, whose long-standing grassroots presence in the city shaped the tone of the afternoon. Known to local residents for her years of organizing neighborhood safety walks, disaster relief support, and community forums, Castro spent the day moving between display tables, greeting families, and celebrating the agricultural efforts of local gardeners. For Castro, who built 204 Winnipeg from a small group of concerned residents into a foundational community pillar, the festival represented more than just a competition for the heaviest and longest vegetables; it was a natural extension of her continuous, decades-long work to bring people together and build resilience from the ground up.

Participants proudly brought forward their largest produce to be measured on heavy-duty scales, turning the gathering into a vibrant showcase of backyard resilience against unpredictable prairie weather and shifting summer conditions. Throughout the sunlit grounds, neighbors eagerly shared cultivation tips, family recipes passed down through generations, and stories from across Winnipeg’s diverse neighborhoods. The sheer variety of vegetables on display—from winding ampalaya vines with their jagged, vitamin-rich ridges to massive, pale green bottle gourds—testified to the patience and dedication required to cultivate green spaces within an urban environment.

Beyond the agricultural exhibits, the festival served as an active hub for local engagement, drawing prominent community figures and civic candidates looking to connect with residents. Mayoral candidate Don Woodstock attended the afternoon’s events, shaking hands, listening to constituent concerns, and later taking a turn at the microphone for a spirited karaoke performance that featured Sweet Caroline and other crowd-pleasing anthems. Moments like these captured the relaxed, familial spirit of the gathering, blending civic presence with genuine neighborhood camaraderie.

He was joined by Greg McFarlane, candidate for Old Kildonan city councillor, who spent hours navigating the crowded grounds to converse with families and discuss pressing municipal issues affecting Winnipeg neighbourhoods. McFarlane engaged with residents on topics ranging from community infrastructure to local support systems, ensuring that the dialogue remained grounded in the everyday concerns of the people who call the area home. These interactions highlighted how cultural events double as vital spaces for open communication between residents and prospective public servants.

Yet, despite the presence of municipal hopefuls, the day remained firmly anchored by the grassroots networks that Castro and her fellow volunteers have spent years fostering. The operational backbone of 204 Winnipeg was visible in every detail, from the orderly arrangement of the exhibition tables to the seamless coordination of volunteers who managed everything from registration to the distribution of shared meals. It was a reflection of an organization that has consistently stepped up to fill gaps in community safety, mutual aid, and cultural preservation when it mattered most.

As the late afternoon sun began to dip lower, casting long shadows across the park and blending the scent of grilled garlic with the cool autumn breeze, the event concluded with shared food, music, and formal recognition for the growers who produced the season’s finest crops. Events like the Upo Fest continue to serve as a reliable reminder of the strong cultural bonds and mutual support systems operating quietly at the grassroots level across the city, reinforcing the enduring neighborhood connections that transform a collection of streets into a true home.