Hearty congratulations are due to all of those people who helped plan, put on and participate in the downtown’s Gathering Together Multicultural Festival held on Wednesday, June 27.
Hosted by Immigrant Services Shuswap and Downtown Salmon Arm, it was a vibrant mix of music, dance, food, fashion and more.
The pervasive feeling was one of camaraderie and goodwill, qualities we can all use more of.
From Filipino fashions to Shuswap Pipes ’n’ Drums to Metis jigs, it was a true celebration of diversity. In a world where we face so much turmoil based on perceived differences, it was fun to simply experience and celebrate with each other.
Related: In photos - Gathering Together in Salmon Arm
The goodwill at the Multicultural Fest was felt not just this one day, but actually throughout the past several.
The Children’s Festival experienced quite a blow – pun intended – when winds and heavy rain Saturday destroyed some of the tents that were painstakingly set up for the next day’s festivities.
A call for help from organizers produced about two dozen volunteers who were on the fairgrounds at 6 a.m. Sunday to help put things back together and get them ready for all the enthusiastic families who would be arriving at 10 that morning.
Even the weather seemed to bring people together, with children dancing in the rain as they awaited the fireworks at Canoe Beach on Sunday night.
It was truly a week and weekend for being together, enjoying the community and revelling in our connections.
Thanks to all those people who worked so hard to make these events happen.
We hope there will be many more.
@SalmonArm
marthawickett@saobserver.net
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