Save the Date for Somerset County Diversity Festival in October

From the press release and website about the event:

Somerset County welcomes, and is home to, a diverse population of promising individuals from around the world. Diversity is one of the county’s greatest assets and has helped form unique and vibrant communities that make us proud and hopeful about the future. To celebrate October as Global Diversity Awareness month, the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners will host the fifth annual Diversity Festival on October 15, 2023 from 12-4 pm on Main and Grove Streets in downtown Somerville. The Diversity Festival is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate residents from all backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities and have a great day in downtown Somerville all at the same time!

This year’s festival offers something for everyone. There will be two stages with performers that include two dance groups and five concerts. Music performers include Forbidden Tropics, an Afro-Peruvian Jazz band; Vocal Synergy, a community-based, inclusive acapella group; Summer Wind Jazz Band, a Chinese Jazz fusion band with musicians and vocalists; a Chinese zither and violin performance; and Canabilla’s Group K’ndela, a high energy salsa band. Dance performers include Dance X Studio, a Bollywood-style dance troupe and Qing Yanq Dance Group, a Chinese folk dance troupe. This year the KidZone, where activities for our youngest guests will be concentrated, will feature mini-magic shows at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30.

We’ve also added a starter stage for our youngest performers to showcase their talent, and this year’s inaugural performance will be a traditional Sikhi-inspired dance performance by students of the Kaur and Singh Academy at 2:10. There will also be two Bounce Houses, a face painter, a balloon artist, and a caricature artist in addition to all the games and activities we’ve planned. And best of all- there is no charge for any of this. All we want is for you to come with an open mind and enjoy a beautiful fall day with your neighbors. Be sure to bring a blanket or a chair! We’ll have a pinata, a Mexican-themed bingo game and a Courageous Conversation workshop, courtesy of the Greater Somerset YMCA.

To make the day even more special, we’ve worked with the Somerset County Business Partnership to solicit prizes from their members and will have drawings throughout the day. Prizes include: $100 gift card to any shop in Bridgewater Commons, tickets to the planetarium at RVCC, tickets to the RVCC theatre, tickets to a Patriots game, a $30 gift certificate to BAM Desserts and a gift pack to Brook Arts Center. There will also be at least thirty community groups and county government organizations present to share information about various cultures, ethnicities and underrepresented groups. Bring your appetite too because you will be able to buy food from a Mexican, Polish, or dessert-themed food truck, and some Main Street restaurants will offer menu specials. Come for lunch and stay for dinner!

As the festival theme says: Somerset County- Everyone Belongs Here! That includes YOU, so please join us; it won’t be the same without you. If you would like more information about the Diversity Festival, please contact Kimberly Cowart at cowart@co.somerset.nj.us.

For more details about the festival, visit: 2023 Somerset County Diversity Festival | Somerset County

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