By Erin Davisson
The Village of Royal Palm Beach and Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will celebrate Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 12 from 1 to 8 p.m., with showtime starting at 3 p.m., at Veterans Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd.
The event promises to be exciting for all ages. Cultural Diversity Day explores all the wonders and differences that everyone has to offer. Rochelle Wright, special event coordinator for the Village of Royal Palm Beach, is excited about the upcoming event.
“We showcase diverse groups, not just in the community, but also in the country,” she explained. “It’s a great event, fun for the kids, and they can learn about different cultures and what it means to be diverse.”
There will be food vendors, arts and craft vendors, live entertainment and music.
Attendees will enjoy the history and culture shown in this one-day event, as the youth of Florida learn about diverse cultures.
Food vendors will be all around Veterans Park during the event offering much more than just American-style food. Various cuisine includes Jamaican, Haitian, Philippine and more. There will also be crafts and various kinds of jewelry available. Kids will appreciate the face painting booth.
Live music ranges from tribute bands to elementary and middle school performances. The Western Academy Charter School chorus will be performing a variety of cultural songs, such as “Despacito,” Native American folk songs and Bob Marley tribute tunes. Matt Stone will be on hand doing an Elvis Presley tribute. There will also be a Latin band performing favorites. Along with all these performances, Cultural Diversity Day will feature “the Upcoming Stars of Tomorrow” youth talent show.
There will also be a variety of dance performances. The Hitchiti dance group will be presenting traditional Native American dances. This group is well known for performances during the South Florida Fair at Yesteryear Village. The Irish Dance Academy will be doing Irish-themed dances, reminiscent of the famous Riverdance shows. Students from Crestwood Middle School will be performing African step dancing.
Alongside the wonderful performances, Master Ken’s Martial Arts programs will be doing a demonstration to show the different types of martial arts.
This year will be the last time that Veterans Park will host Cultural Diversity Day. Starting next year, the event will be held in the much larger Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. “There will be more parking available next year than there is at Veterans Park,” Wright said, explaining that the event has grown.
The event is also sponsored by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. Attendees are invited to bring chairs, blankets and umbrellas.
For more information about display booths and food sales, call Elet Cyris at (561) 791-9087 or Ernie Garvey at (561) 676-5664.
For more details about the event, visit www.royalpalmbeach.com or call (561) 753-1232.
