“It’s the love and support from the community that have kept us coming here for five or six years,” said LaJuan Lane, who helped form the group with three others who met at Project Jericho.
Hip-hop was one of several cultural performing arts at the 22nd CultureFest at Springfield City Hall Plaza. Around 20 different cultures were represented along with various food choices, information booths and kids’ activities.
“It has been a great start,” said CultureFest organizer Nancy Flinchbaugh. “It makes me happy to see the community out here and it being crowded.”
CultureFest is a day of discovery, for people to meet people like members of Springfield’s Sikh community and learn its differences and similarities to other cultures.
“We want people to be more aware of who we are,” said Ravjot Singh, who along with mother Sarabjit were dressed in colorful garments representative of Sikh culture.
They said that Sikh is the fifth largest major religion in the world, around 500 years old and was founded in northern India. It is sometimes confused as being a sect of Islam or Hindu, but isn’t related to either.
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CultureFest is a day for families as well. It’s a tradition for Springfield resident Curtis Orahood, who brings his daughters and their cousin from out of town to enjoy the day together.
There are so many things Orahood wants them to experience.
“I was in the Marine Corps and have been all over the world. It’s great for them to see tons of cultures and experience so many different things like music and the Chinese dragon,” he said.
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One of the most popular new additions to kids activities was kindness rocks, which could be painted and designed.
Lincoln Elementary student Abigail Wheeler chose to dedicate hers to a pair of young girls who passed away and leave it near their gravestones.
“I feel special about those two little girls,” she said.
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