Diversity was on full displace Saturday night as hundreds gathered for the annual “taste of home” event in Kelowna featuring cultural performances and foods from all over the world.
“We have eighteen different countries, some of them have two or three different kinds of food, so lots of different kinds of food from around the world but all of the people are from Kelowna so it just shows how diverse our community is,” Executive Director of Global Citizen Kelowna, Joyce Brinkerhoff, said during the event held at the Main Street Centre.
Ethnic foods from Korean to Jamaican were big hits with the hungry attendees.
“This is Cuba, this is Israel, and this is Jamaica,” said one woman holding three plates of food.
“It’s beautiful to see others enjoy this wonderful food, it smells so good here,” said another.
Scottish and Ukrainian dancers also wowed the crowds.
Attendees said it’s more important than ever to celebrate diversity during a divisive time when immigration policy has been thrust into the spotlight.
“Celebrating the diversity that makes this country amazing and unique is extremely important,” said an attendee.
“Everyone has something to say and it’s all great … especially with everything that is going on in the world I think we need more of this,” said a Kelowna couple celebrating an early Valentine’s Day.
Brinkerhoff said the event is meant to promote multiculturalism and intercultural harmony across the Central Okanagan Valley.
“There is no point in saying oh I love the people overseas and then you can’t stand people who don’t look like you next door… especially in our world today, a lot of times it is fear, it is misunderstanding, because they don’t know somebody, but as soon as you know somebody, it takes that fear away.”
It was hosted by Global Citizen Kelowna which is part of the Intercultural Society of Central Okanagan (ISCO).
Comments