The 2009 Multicultural Festival is our 8th Festival! This year’s theme, “Coming to America”, highlights the courage, foresight and need that have brought people to America for more than 300 years – enduring hardship, danger and loneliness, leaving behind all that was familiar to them. The Festival honors their inspiring successes, celebrates America’s heritage of freedom, and encourages respect for others.
Admission to the Festival, the entertainment, and the children’s activities are free. There is plenty of parking on the streets around the park and across the street at the St. Joseph Cathedral and school. Accessible parking is available in the park for persons with the appropriate placard or license plate.
In addition to roaming performances by Juggling J and Elvendrums, this year’s exciting schedule is as follows:
11:00 Color Guard (Girl Scouts of the MO Heartland)
11:05 Capital City Children’s Choir (variety)
11:30 The Footprint Project (African American—Inspirational Dance)
11:55 Sylbo (Storytelling)
12:20 Weichchue Dance Team (Native American Dance)
12:50 Missouri River Cloggers (Clog Dancing)
1:10 Tamaha Troupe (Belly Dancing)
1:30 Flying Geese Production (The Resurrection of Harriet Tubman)
1:55 Bulgarian Spirit (Bulgarian Folk Dance)
2:20 Afi Ami (Spirits Most Ancient) (African/African American Story, Music, Dance)
3:05 Joyce Slater (Storytelling)
3:30 Guelaguetza Oaxaca (Mexican Folkloric Dance)
No festival is complete without foods, wares, and information booths. More than 60 booths will make up our “marketplace”. There will be no reason to go away hungry since we have 10 food vendors, including returning favorites (Dee Dee’s Kettle Korn, Jamaican Jerk Hut, and Tango Argentina), and many new ones whose menus include items like caramel apple slices, hamburgers, tacos, funnel cakes, fried pickles, and fudge puppies.
The Festival is made possible through the generous support of many in the community, with special thanks to our Gold Level Sponsors: JC Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, KRCG, AmerenUE, Target, Missouri Arts Council, and Cole County Government.
Join us as we embrace the diversity of our community with fun and food!