Ethnic Enrichment Fesival Revisited

After my first ever visit to Swope Park, I participated the following year as a volunteer.

Although not a committee member, I was invited to attend a meeting of ethnic representatives with the city council organisers. So amazing to have people from so many diverse cultures packed in the same small hall.

Weeks before the festival, we were already planning, preparing and freezing food to be sold. Everyone had a great time chatting away while peeling and cutting potatoes or cooking.

On the day of the Festival, I was busy for a couple of hours helping at the food stall or the fresh coconut stand. Besides being a refreshing drink enjoyed by many, the stand was doing brisk business as passers-by were fascinated to see a Caucasian fumbling to crack a hole in the coconut shell. He mastered the art of opening coconuts after numerous coconuts were sold.

This time, the Festival featured more than 60 different cultures selling their native foods, crafts and performing ethnic music and dances. The crowd is bigger than the previous year. There was an air of celebration when groups carrying their ethnic flags made a procession around the festival grounds.

The kiddo was tired and I had to leave so that he could go to bed about an hour away. The chairman of the local chapter was happy with our contribution and thanked us with a buffet treat at a casino.