Fair Is a Cultural Smorgasbord

The celebration was as American as apple pie, Japanese rice balls, Mexican tortillas and Swiss chocolate.

Fairmont Elementary School’s third annual heritage fair Thursday night attracted hundreds of students and their parents to feast on ethnic foods, watch and participate in folk dances from around the globe and celebrate their diversity.

“Every year we try to focus on different cultures,” Fairmont Principal Kathy Linden said as several young dancers in bright green Korean costumes passed by.

Among this year’s performances were tales by Native American and Scottish storytellers, and a dramatization of the life of Harriet Tubman, an African American abolitionist who helped slaves escape on the Underground Railroad.

Linden said the event was conceived by parents who expressed concern “that we as a community needed to appreciate each other’s differences a little more.”

One of those parents is Debi Storing, who has three children enrolled in Placentia-Yorba Linda schools and has been active in planning the multicultural celebration since its inception in 1994.

The first year, she recalled, organizers were not sure if the community would respond. People turned out and were enthusiastic, and the event has grown.

What began as an afternoon event to showcase displays on various cultures, she said, is now an evening celebration with bright decorations, entertainment and a rich variety of ethnic foods.

The result, Storing said, has been a fostering of cultural pride among the students and rise in community spirit and pride.

“We’ve seen a difference in the children,” Storing said. “It’s just a matter of making everyone more comfortable with each other so that you can respect the differences.”

Storing’s 13-year-old daughter Lisa said the event “has really been well received by the students. You get to learn a lot about all the different cultures.”