The 2018 Multi-Cultural Festival concluded this past weekend. As usual, it was held at the Kings Contrivance Village Center in Columbia, Maryland. The Orthodox Church of St. Matthew, located at 7271 Eden Brook Drive in Columbia, put on the event, which they do every year.
The festival is a celebration of the different ethnic cultures in and around Columbia. As part of the two-day festival, held on Saturday and Sunday, the church provided tours of the church facility and also held services for those wishing to participate.
In the food category, the varieties included fare from Ethiopia, Lebanon, Romania, Greece, and the Slavic ethnic group.
Stage entertainment was provided under the big tent, where easily 100 people could sit in comfort away from the weather elements. For this event the weather was mostly in favor of the event organizers, unlike a few years ago when a storm rolled through town to put a damper on the annual event.
The entertainment ranged from various folk dances to ballet to martial arts. In all 13 different groups performed over the two-day event. The entertainers included Boss Migos, Misako Ballet Company, U.S. Jow Ga Martial Arts, Carpathia, Iniciativa Folclorica Costarricense Folklorica, Krakowiaki Dance Group, Arte Flamenco, Meki’s Tamure, Baltimore Klexmer Orchesta, Teelin Irish Dance Company, Bailes de Mi Terra with special guests Las Hermananas Gonzalez, Kalinka Dance Ensemble of Baltimore, and Zaida Rising.
There was entertainment for small children, namely a giant inflatable slide. Also, non-food vendors were invited to present their products to the public.
The parking lot at the Village Center was packed, forcing some to find parking on the street.
In the festival program, the church offered its appreciation to the corporate sponsors, the entertainers, and all of the businesses that helped to make the event a success.
The statement from the church went on thank the parishioners who spent “countless hours planning and preparing for [the] annual event.
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