Celebrating diversity
Entertainment, food and fashion from all over the world will be on display in Douglas Park, as Langley’s annual International Festival happens Aug. 8 and 9.
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Updated: July 28, 2009 3:25 PM
Whether Bulgarian folk dancing, Kenyan drumming or Indonesian singing is what it takes to put you in a global frame of mind, it will all be there at the annual Langley International Festival, taking place in Douglas Park on Saturday, Aug. 8 and Sunday, Aug. 9.
Two days of music and dance, food and fashion, the annual summer festival features cultural bits and bites from around the world, bringing together people from different ethnic backgrounds to display their traditions through performances and visual arts, ethnic foods and attire.
The festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, in the park on Douglas Crescent in Langley City, will include an international parade, music and dancing, a cultural art gallery, carnival, fashion show and an international barbecue.
But it’s not just about the sights, sounds and flavours. The festival also offers the chance for people of all ethnicities to display pride in their heritage in a fun and safe environment, demonstrating how they pass on traditions from one generation to the next.
Commonalities are celebrated and differences put aside in the promotion of knowledge and mutual respect.
Sandy Shih, program manager for immigration and multicultural services at Langley Family Services said the annual festival is important because it fosters understanding among all Canadians.
Langley’s population is growing more diverse with each year, she said, with a growing number of immigrants from India, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and Latin America.
As well, hundreds of Karen people — refugees from Myanmar (Burma) — have made Langley City their new home within the past few years.
Through events like the International Festival the often difficult transition of moving to a new country is made easier, said Shih.
“People from different countries feel comfortable, respected, that they are not alone,” she said.
Of course, many Canadians of European heritage have kept the cultures of their own homelands alive though song, dance, food and costumes, which they will proudly display for visitors as well. Among the nations which will be represented on stage are, Mexico, Argentina, Ireland, Taiwan, India, Spain, China, Ukraine, Scotland, Austria, Philippines and Canada.
There will be a kids chalet on site, as well as a youth zone, seniors chalet, cultural art gallery and business showcase.
Admission is by donation. Go to www.internationalfestival.ca.
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