Carassauga has gone high-tech this year with a new app designed to keep attendees apprised and up-to-date of everything happening with the popular yearly festival.

Linda Siutra, Carassauga’s executive director, said there was a soft launch of the app last year, but festival organizers are pushing it out pretty hard for this year’s edition, which happens the May 26 to May 28 weekend. She said those who download the free app to their smartphones will be able to tap into information such as pavilion locations, entertainment programming, maps and transit routes.

The hope is the app will help make Carassauga as convenient as possible, said Siutra, while also appealing to the younger generation.

“It’s one of the ways we keep ourselves fairly young,” she said. “If you want to get the younger people in, you have to use the tools they’re familiar with.”

The app can be downloaded through Google Play and the Apple App Store.

This year, there will be 31 pavilions representing more than 70 countries at nine different locations. Newcomers include Bulgaria and Nepal, while Sri Lanka and Korea make their returns after brief hiatuses.

The vast majority of the pavilions will be clustered around the Hershey Centre, but others will be spread out at various community centres and other facilities across the city.

Canada has its own pavilion and the Streetsville Royal Canadian Legion will play host to it. Siutra noted that, because the country is celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary, the vast majority of the Carassauga pavilions will offer special performances and programming to their usual mix of cultural entertainment — from dance to skits and music to games, stories and food — to mark the milestone.

The KidsZone will return to the Mississauga SportZone, but under new hours. It will be open on Saturday, May 27 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, May 28 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

They’ve added a singing competition that takes place on the Saturday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. that will have contestants vying to win a three-song demo written and produced by Adrian and Lucas Rezza, known professionally as 80 Empire. There will also be an opening night ceremony on Friday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage in the Hershey Centre south parking lot, featuring the parade of nations and live musical performances.