By Joseph Gamm
For the Enterprise
LYNNWOOD — Just try using chopsticks to take a dry bean out of one bowl and place it in another. Mission accomplished? Now do it two more times and receive a free candy.
This was one of a slew of activities at Lynnwood’s annual multicultural fair on Saturday, April 22, in the Lynnwood Convention Center.
The purpose of the fair, presented by the Family Support Center serving South Snohomish County, has always been “to celebrate the richness of our diverse community and build connections between citizens, families and organizations through stories, customs, dances, arts and crafts, and foods and beverages,” according to a press release.
“This is the face of Lynnwood,” said Pam Graham, the center’s program coordinator. “You see all these different families and cultures represented here today. They’re all neighbors.”
Graham said the goal of this year’s event was to give people a forum in a family-friendly setting to build connections with their neighbors.
Visitors to the event were greeted outside the front door by a bagpipe ensemble, the Northwest Junior Pipe Band, from Shoreline.
Dance was the most noticeable event. On a raised stage, dressed in traditional garb, groups of dancers performed Hawaiian, Bosnian, African, Korean, Cambodian, East Indian and European folk dances.
At different booths, people could write a visitor’s name in Korean or Arabic. Other booths encouraged participants to try their hand at origami, Chinese knot tying, scratching images onto slate and many other activities. The Lynnwood Fire Department gave out plastic fire hats to the children at the fair.
San Kung Darboe, 35, of Lynnwood, attended the fair. He moved from Gambia, a west African nation, 14 years ago. Darboe said all the performers he’d seen had been “good so far.”
He said, “It’s all different cultures and I like that part. To see the different cultures.”
Everett resident Pam Ellsworth, 43, has a Scottish heritage. So it should come as no surprise that she thought the bagpipers outside the front door were very good. She also liked the Bosnian dancers.
Ellsworth said she had walked among the booths, talking with people and picking up items representative of their cultures. She then produced a sheet of paper and said, “A gentleman drew this bamboo for me.” She said she thought it would be nice to see the fair expand to two days.
Allan Williams, 61, of Edmonds, said the bagpipes were wonderful (possibly his English heritage speaking) and that he enjoyed the dancing.
“I always enjoy the Hawaiian dance,” he said.
Kwami Nyamidie, 48, of Mountlake Terrace, said 10 years ago he moved from the West African country of Togo. “I like the interfaith booth,” he said. “The Norway booth was unique. It’s just good to be in contact with the community.”
June Guilmet, 81, an African-American woman from Edmonds, arrived late but said she had been looking forward to seeing the different ethnic clothing.
“Learning how other people live, what they wear, what they eat, this is great,” she said. “Seeing children here is great.”
Joseph Gamm is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.
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