Expanded offerings enliven East Portland’s ‘Multicultural Kids Festival’

See how this event has grown to be a premier, cross-cultural outer East Portland summertime family festivity …

In the Hazelwood neighborhood, the third annual Multicultural Kids Festival is underway.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Although originally scheduled for July 21st, this year’s Multicultural Kids Festival took place much later – on September 8th, at Ventura Park.

Many who attended agreed that it was worth the wait. The park was filled with activities, vendors, and continuous cultural entertainment on a spacious elevated stage.

Flanked by key volunteers Halyna Fertsovych and Ilona Ferik, here Timur Holove – Advisory Board Member of Slavic Community Center of the Northwest –pauses for a photo at the festival.

“This is our third annual event,” noted Slavic Community Center of the Northwest Advisory Board Member Timur Holove. “We just decided to expand our reach, and invite the many different cultures in East Portland to come celebrate diversity this year.”

And, expanded this festival was!

“This year we have a larger and more diverse line up of performances; and we added more bouncy houses. As well, there are many more vendors,” Holove told East Portland News. “We invited a lot of local small business owners to come this year – to help them reach new customers.”

This group, representing the ArtMax Academy, plays traditional, middle-eastern music.

It’s Karina Melikyan, of the Karin Kirkland School of Dance, performing Armenian dance.

Kids enjoy getting up close to farm animals in the petting zoo.

With music filling the air, families browsed the vendors, and got information from nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies, while the kids clambered up the Portland Parks & Recreation “climbing wall”, played in the many bouncy houses, or spent time at the petting zoo.

Chefs in this outdoor kitchen are preparing a kettle of pilaf, a traditional Uzbek dish.

“And, of course, we’re serving a lot of different foods, all made fresh, including those from Central Asia, Ukrainian food, and Halal cultural food as well,” Holove pointed out.

Ready to go on stage are these performers from the Winnie Chinese Dance Studio.

Families check out “Peter’s Pigeons” – not a competition, but a show of his feathered friends!

Showing off their costumes before they perform are members of Ballet Papalotl.

“It’s important for our organization to put this on because we want to make sure that the community has access to resources,” explained Holove.

“That’s why we invited a lot of different organizations to come here – like the US Forest Service, Multnomah County Health Department, Multnomah County Library, and the Oregon Department of Human Services – people can come here, to one place, and have direct communication with a wide variety of service providers.

Folks chat while lining up for, and enjoying food at this festival.

“And, we simply enjoy hosting an outdoor festival that brings families together, for an afternoon of safe, free, fun,” Holove concluded.

Find out more about the Slavic Community Center of Northwest by visiting their official website: CLICK HERE.

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