SAUGUS — Although Sunday was the last day of February vacation for students, the middle high school was the place to be as the town’s inaugural Cultural Festival hit the ground running.
The school was full of people of all ages checking out the different food vendors and performances that occurred throughout the day. The festival ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with nonstop fun, thanks to the planning of the Saugus Cultural Council.
Council Secretary Vanessa LeFevre was excited to see the turnout as families bustled through the doors.
Many gathered in the auditorium to watch performances from Tonal Chaos, Iskwelahang Pilipino, Mayur Indian Dance, which included Council Treasurer Niveditha Amaranth, Lucia Ingemi, Phunk Mob, Keane O’Brien Academy of Irish Dance, Theatre Company of Saugus, and Veronica Robles with her female-led mariachi band.
“I’ve seen several of the performances, and they’re terrific. There’s been a steady flow of kids and families. I think it’s going pretty well,” Council member Mary Kinsell said.
Another exciting event at the festival was Circus Up! The performance included unicycles, aerial silks, and juggling while balancing on a ball.
The Boys and Girls Club was also there, facilitating arts and crafts, as well as a music studio and a Nintendo Switch station.
Exiting the auditorium, there was a variety of bites from different parts of the world in the cafeteria. Lines of people shuffled through, looking to taste the whole menu.
“I think because it’s the first year, we were all a little interested to see how this would play out, but we tried to gather as many people as possible,” Council member Vanessa Dellheim said. “I think we were successful this year. It turned out really well.”
Dellheim continued that she had tried all the different foods and enjoyed many of the different cultural performances. “My kids are having a good time, as I think others are, and it’s a great family event,” she said.
Co-chair of the council, Tori Darnell, was also happy with the turnout and how everything was going.
“Everything is going really well for our first year. We’ve had a good steady flow since the beginning,” she said.
Darnell continued that even at 10:45, before the event had begun, people were starting to roll in, and that it allowed people to move around and get comfortable with the space.
“I think anyone who attended should feel free to reach out to the Cultural Council at [email protected] with any comments or feedback because we’re hoping to do this again next year. Community responses would be helpful,” Darnell said.
It’s safe to say Saugus’ first-ever Cultural Festival was enjoyed by many. Kids ran through the halls checking out different stations, including a henna tattoo table, and the auditorium had a constant flow of guests looking to see the next act.
It was made clear through the different performances, food, and people walking through that the event was putting a spotlight on what culture means and why it’s so important to celebrate.
