WYCO Ethnic Festival
KCKCC Field House at Kansas City Kansas Community College State Ave, Kansas City, Missouri
This family-friendly multicultural event features exhibits, food and entertainment from various cultures who live in and around WYCO. There is no admittance fee and parking is free.
We anticipate at least 1,000 attending the festival with at least 50 organizations, countries and ethnicities from Wyandotte County represented at booths and onstage entertainment. Clarence Small is our wonderful master of ceremonies. Last year we honored Eyyup Esen and Barbara Clark-Evans with the prestigious Legends of Diversity award.
Ethnic dance groups with beautiful choreography and costume include the Nartan Dancers of India, West of Marrakesh Dancers, Irish Dancers, Sabor a Peru, Tikvah Dancers of Isreal, Rosemary's Fiesta Mexicana, and the ever popular Danny Hinds & Ayotunde Barbados Drumming and Dance.
Live performances include the internationally renowned Havartski Obicaj Croatian Orchestra; Allen Arias with his own flavor of Costa Rican guitar, cajon and voice; Roger Suggs, a nationally recognized hip-hop artist; The St. Monica Inspirational Choir with Melvin Kerr on keyboards featuring a local style of spirituality that always gets the crowd moving, and many others.
The Creative Children's Corner often features multicultural educational themes. The area is coordinated by KCKCC's Intercultural Center Director, Barbara Clark-Evans, and Dr. Hira Nair, Coordinator of the KCKCC Education Program.
The food court offers delicious dishes from India, Peru, Malaysia, West African cuisine, Soul Food, Kenya, Mexico and Supreme Eatery. Filtered water and mint tea are available for free.
Everyone attending the festival receives a souvenir program with blank passport pages. These can be stamped at any culture booth. There are numerous door prize drawings during the festival for those with completed stamped passport pages turned in at Karen Hernandez' Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. culture booth. Festival founder, Karen Hernandez, also provides free books to those who turn in tickets received at the festival entrance, while supplies last.
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