ASHTABULA —
The nations of the world came alive Saturday afternoon as the Multi-Cultural Festival kicked into full gear along Main Avenue.
“This is nice. It is something different. They (the city) need something like this,” said Dale Miller of Ashtabula while walking the street with his son.
A long line of people operating a Chinese Dragon shared the parade route with an African dance group from Cleveland. Hundreds of people walked the downtown area after watching the parade looking for an ethnic dish or to experience a variety of entertainment options.
“It is going good,” said Marty Cephas, chairwoman of the festival committee. She said the attendance for the parade and early stages of the event exceeded expectations.
Cephas said the event is sponsored by the Ashtabula Downtown Development Association to draw people downtown to experience the businesses that are in place along Main Avenue.
“We have a lot of entertainment, a lot of booths, I’m excited. We are hoping they (the people) will notice what businesses are down here,” said ADDA President Linda Annick.
Lavette Hennigan served as the vendor coordinator for the event. She said there were a variety of changes structured into the second year of the festival.
“We went from one day to two,” Hennigan said. The festival continues today at noon with three different entertainment options at three stages located on the southern end of Main Avenue.
Another addition to the event this year is transportation for visitors. “We have trolley transportation from one end of the festival to the other,” she said.
Hennigan said a variety of related groups are placed together into “villages.”
“We recruited vendors,” said Hennigan of the businesses that have set up shop along the street.
Entertainment options have doubled from last year,” Hennigan said.
Cephas said many people did a lot of work putting educational projects together in their booths. She said Andy Oxley of B Side Music put together a display detailing music styles from around the world.
The United Eastern Lenape Nation, an African dance team and the Lady Midnight Riders will provide a variety of options at noon today.
Food options range from sausage to suschi with a myriad of options in between.
Artisans and business men and women, in colorful costumes, displayed their products along Main Avenue while friends gathered to enjoy a day of fun.
Local News
Multi-Cultural Festival continues today with a variety of entertainment
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