Attention all expatriate Manitobans: we’re planning the biggest party in the province’s history, and you’re all invited.

Manitoba Homecoming 2010, a year-long wingding of everything Manitoban, kicked off in January with Saison Voyageur — a celebration of winter events highlighted by February’s Festival du Voyageur, the Keystone province’s version of Quebec City’s famous Winter Carnival.

But that’s just the beginning. Manitobans are being encouraged to invite friends and family members who have moved away over the years to come back and relive some of their favourite times. Without a doubt, the most popular event will be the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the long-running, four-day party at Bird’s Hill Park, where tens of thousands will groove to the latest and greatest folk, Canadian, roots and other music.

There will also be heavy promotion of events such as the Morden Corn & Apple Festival in August; the Memorial Cup, the national junior hockey championships being held in Brandon in May; the Dauphin Countryfest in July; and Centralia, an international business conference expected to attract more than 1,000 visitors.

MH2010 has two economic goals. In the short term, the objective is for visitors to help local restaurants, hotels, shops and taxicabs ring up record sales. But by showing former Manitobans the many benefits of returning, the long-term hope is that some of them might decide they’ve had enough of Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver (the most popular destinations for many young people, usually right after graduating from university) and move “home.”

Kevin Walters, the executive director of MH2010, says he has an even bigger goal — to bring back former Manitobans from around the world, courtesy of a huge party at the Vancouver Olympics.

Early projections are calling for more than 50,000 people to visit Manitoba at some point during 2010 and provide more than $30 million in economic uplift.

Another definite highlight will be the “world’s largest social” on May 12, Manitoba’s 140th birthday. For the uninitiated, a social is a fundraising event held at a community club, bar or even a university cafeteria, featuring a band or solo musician, several hundred revellers, lots and lots of booze, and a wide selection of “social” food, such as luncheon meats, cheese cubes, rye bread and pickles. (A favourite social trick is to slap somebody on the back and ask them how they’re doing, the question serving as a distraction from the fact you’ve just placed a slice of salami on their shoulder. It sounds stupid; but, trust me, it’s hilarious.)

More than 100 communities throughout the province are planning to host socials simultaneously, and Walters hopes they will be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for their efforts.

But you can’t just invite people for a visit and expect them to relocate all on their own. That’s where MH2010 has teamed up with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. The two are putting the finishing touches on a plan that will provide contact points for all visitors to find out about some of the most affordable housing in Canada, cottage country in every direction and the most diverse economy north of the 49th parallel.

There’s also more culture than you can shake a guitar at. Indeed, music will be one of the main draws for MH2010, even outside of the annual festivals. Walters says his team is approaching all kinds of local bands, both young and old, about returning home or reuniting for a performance or two.

Walters isn’t naming names, but artists such as the Watchmen, Crash Test Dummies and the Guess Who are candidates. He says he’s been in touch with Neil Young’s handlers, but admits the legendary singer, who got his musical start in the Squires in Winnipeg, is a “long shot.”

Come and join the party. Maybe you’ll want to stay a while — a long while. IE