Mount Prospect to debut Celebration of Cultures festival
On Saturday, Sept. 29, the village of Mount Prospect will debut a new event, the Celebration of Cultures, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The event will be held at Kopp Park, adjacent to RecPlex, 420 Dempster St. The festival will feature entertainment, cultural booths, craft fair, ethnic foods and beers from around the world.
This event is a collaboration between the village, the Mount Prospect Park District and the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce.
The mayor and the village board have long recognized the diversity that makes up the village. As a result, the Mount Prospect Celebration of Cultures has been planned as a way to honor the many diverse populations represented in the village.
"We are thrilled to bring this new event to the village and to celebrate our rich and diverse community. This inaugural year will be a celebration of everything that makes Mount Prospect unique and inclusive," said Mayor Arlene Juracek.
Food options include Trezeros Kitchen & Tap (Italian), E & O Food & Drink (Asian), Qulinarnia (Polish), Mr. Kimichi (Korean), Mina Restaurant (Mediterranean), Canta Napoli (German), KD Market (Polish), Avanti Café (Italian), Hacienda El Sombrero (Mexican), Capannari Ice Cream (Vanillas from Around the World) and Nothing Bundt Cakes.
Cultural Entertainment scheduled for the day includes: Hispanic Heritage Dancers from Euclid School, Korean Dance Company, Polonia Dance Ensemble, Zydeco Voodoo (Cajun/French/American), Aztec Dancers (District 214 Newcomers) and Saol Academy of Irish Dance.
The closing act will be Funkadesi at 5:30 p.m. Funkadesi blends Indian music - bhangra, Bollywood, Indian folk - with reggae, funk, and Afro-Caribbean grooves. The band hails from Chicago, proudly representing the diverse multiethnic communities within the city.
Free trade craft outlet Ten Thousand Villages will be participating in the craft fair. They bring goods created in communities throughout the developing world, made with local materials (usually natural or recycled) and time-honored skills by makers they have known and worked with for years.
Every purchase improves the lives of makers by supporting their craft and providing a fair, stable income.
For details on the Celebration of Cultures, visit mountprospect.org.