Festival of Cultures returns to Sioux Falls this June

This paid piece is sponsored by LSS.

The Festival of Cultures returns Saturday, June 8, to downtown Sioux Falls. Hosted by the LSS Multi-Cultural Center in partnership with Levitt at the Falls, the annual event aims to engage the community through Sioux Falls’ cultural diversity with free live entertainment, food and family-friendly activities.

Photos by Serge van Neck Photography

“The Festival of Cultures is a wonderful way to kick off the summer,” said Valeria Wicker of the LSS Multi-Cultural Center.

“There’s something for everybody – all ages and families – and it’s right in the heart of downtown, so it’s a great way to enjoy our city.”

This marks the second year that LSS will partner with Levitt to host the event.

“It’s an excellent fusion of missions,” said Rose Ann Hofland, vice president of programming at Levitt at the Falls. “We’re committed to showcasing world music as a part of our Levitt music series, and so it’s great to be able to celebrate that as well as all of our local vendors and musicians.”

The event will highlight artists, vendors and performers representing a wide variety of cultures.

“We’ll have a vendor selling African fashions, a Guatemalan artist, an award-winning crocheter,” Wicker said. “For performances, we have East African musicians and dancers that we’re really excited about.”

A new Global Village sponsored by WIC-CIAO will debut this year, featuring booths that represent an array of countries, customs and languages. Visitors can explore each culture’s heritage through sharing recipes, clothing and activities like henna tattooing and hair braiding.

“We’re providing the tents and tables, and vendors will be paid a stipend to put toward their booth,” Wicker said. “Even if someone has nothing to sell and wants to represent their culture, they’re invited to participate.”

The event will kick off and conclude with Levitt at the Falls concerts on the main stage. A youth and family concert by the Celtic group Maggie in the Meantime will begin the day at 10:30 a.m., with Grammy-winning conjunto band Los Texmaniacs at 7 p.m. closing out the festivities.

Hofland encourages the community to make a day out of the celebration.

“Have some fun during the day, then come back that evening for a really wonderful band.”

As the day approaches, Wicker encourages people to register to volunteer their time for all or part of the day. It’s a gratifying way to experience the celebration of diversity in the community while helping others to ensure that the event is enjoyable for all.

“We couldn’t do this without volunteers,” Wicker added. “It’s a great way to not just enjoy the festival but contribute and make new friends.”

Every activity at the Festival of Cultures, from the music to food and dance, connects back to the LSS Multi-Cultural Center’s mission to bridge communities and provide a common space to celebrate and share different cultures.

“The Festival of Cultures enables different cross-sections of communities to come together one day each year to celebrate friendship, community and acceptance,” Wicker said. “It’s a celebration for everyone.”

• For a full schedule of events, visit lsssd.org.
• To volunteer for the event, register at Volunteer.LssSD.org.
• To inquire about the Global Village, email [email protected].