Attendees watch the flag ceremony staged in the Central Park Bandshell.
THE FLAGS OF AMERICA, Sudan, Honduras, Ireland, Norway and 13 other countries, plus the United Nations, whipped in the wind Saturday afternoon at Faribault’s Central Park as folks gathered to celebrate my community’s cultural diversity.
Cambodian refugee Sam Ouk, right, holds his country’s flag.
It was a day of connecting cultures through the International Festival Faribault.
Cambodian dancers.
An Ollin Ayacaxtly Aztec Dancer.
An Aztec drummer.
Connecting through music and dance,
Kids (and some adults) created flags.
Attendees marked a world map with their countries of origin.
River Bend Nature Center showed up with several critters, including a snake and turtle.
hands-on activities,
One of many vendors offering ethnic foods.
One of my favorite foods, a spicy Somalian Samosa.
Vendors of Cambodian food.
sampling of ethnic foods,
Cambodian art.
Supplies for face painting.
Lots of kids got their faces painted.
Cambodian art.
art,
The bouncy house, a popular place for kids.
Inside the bouncy house.
An impromptu dance.
play
Joseph L. Mbele, author and Associate Professor of English at St. Olaf College in Northfield, marketed his books and represented Tanzania at the festival.
and more.
Months-old Santiago was there with his family.
This teen represented Somalia.
Five-month-old Audrianna was at the fest with her parents and siblings.
From babes only months old to elders, this event drew all ages interested in meeting those people who call my southeastern Minnesota community home.
Kids run, adults mingle and all learn about each other.
We are no longer mostly just the descendants of European immigrants. But rather, we are a mix of peoples—some from war-torn lands—who have settled here. Saturday’s festival offered the opportunity to learn more about one another.
Kids could color graphics on a map of Minnesota that highlights points of interest.
And that is good. For when we learn, we begin to understand each other. We begin to see each other as neighbors living in this place called Faribault, Minnesota.
A steady flow of attendees browsed the merchandise, sampled food and more.
FYI: Please click here to read my first post about the 10th annual International Festival Faribault.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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