Mount Prospect to show off its diversity at fourth annual Celebration of Cultures

Mount Prospect will honor its diversity when it hosts its fourth annual Celebration of Cultures, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, at Kopp Park, just behind RecPlex at 420 Dempster St.

The event is intended to display the village's commitment to diversity. It will feature entertainment, cultural booths, crafts, kids' activities and food from around the world.

The day will kick off with an opening ceremony, beginning with a parade of cultures and culminating with the tying together of a multi-stranded ribbon symbolizing unity. A daylong lineup of cultural entertainment will feature bands, singers and dancing groups.

Organizers of the Ukrainian Cultural Booth will be accepting donations for needed humanitarian aid, which will be sent to Ukraine.

Among the items accepted will be:

• Pain relievers (ibuprofen/acetaminophen)

• Flu and allergy pills

• Anti-nausea and diarrhea pills

• Neosporin or antibiotic cream and burn gels

• Blood-clotting powders and clotting pads

• Ace-style elastic bandages and adhesive First-Aid tapes

• Foil emergency blankets

• Gauze and sterile wound pads

• Water purification tablets

Children can enjoy a variety of crafts, as well as a henna artist, face painter, balloon artist, and a juggler.

The Mount Prospect Public Library will host games of Loteria, and children can visit cultural booths to collect stickers and spin a wheel for prizes.

Ten Thousand Villages will sell fair trade crafts from a variety of countries. Local restaurants will offer food from around the world, and the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce will offer beer from several countries.

For information about participating organizations, performers and restaurants, visit the village website, mountprospect.org/celebrationofcultures.