Springfield and Clark County residents will find an eclectic selection of performances and foods at the 16^th annual CultureFest, an event created to celebrate the area’s ethnic and cultural diversity.

The festival will take place at the Springfield City Hall Plaza, 76 E. High St., from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

The event’s three stages will feature a long lineup of performers offering a range of musical and dance styles, including reggae, mariachi, hip-hop, jazz, rock, gospel, bluegrass and French Creole and Cajun. Other performers will be strolling through the crowd, said Nancy Flinchbaugh, housing and mediation coordinator for the City of Springfield.

“I think people love the dancers the most,” Flinchbaugh said. “It’s going to be explosions of color and sound all day long.”

Hungry festivalgoers will be able to choose from among an equally diverse spread of foods from 15 booths, including Indian, Hungarian, Mexican, Greek, and American, and barbecue, pork chops, baked goods and soul food. Forty-three other vendors will also be present, offering goods ranging from Henna tattoos to candles to earrings, said Minority Business Development Coordinator Cheryl Dover.

The CultureFest festival, which was first held in 1997, grew from City Study Circles, a group that promoted dialogue about race and ethnic issues. Last year’s festival drew an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 participants.

A Children’s Tent, sponsored by The Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement at Wittenberg, will be set up again this year to provide art projects and activities for children. In the CultureJam area, civil war storytellers and living history characters will entertain and educate.

New performances this year will include Chinese acrobat Li Liu, the Positive Repercussions Drum Circle and Exodus Hip-Hop dancers, said Flinchbaugh.

“It’s just a wonderful time to celebrate culture and to say that we appreciate the diversity of our community and that everyone has something to share,” said Flinchbaugh.