Children, their families and other members of the Bay Ridge community gathered at the Bay Ridge Library on Saturday, June 25 for the first annual World Language Family Festival.
The free event gave the community a chance to explore and experience different cultures through various activities, without traveling far from home. The festival is part of a series held throughout the month by the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and Apple Bank, in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month.
Eva Raison, BPL’s immigrant services coordinator, was thrilled to see families from the community bring their children to experience and take part in various culture traditions.
“We want to continue to promote the library as a welcoming space for people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Raison.
Along with a variety of arts and crafts, attendees got to witness multicultural performances and participate in different workshops. The Capulli Mexican Dance Company performed traditional dances from Mexico, a Baby Tarab to celebrate Arabic music and culture, and a Chinese Folk Workshop where participants got to learn a lion dance.
Director of Marketing for Apple Bank Connie Martin was glad to have partnered with BPL, as she feels that both the library and Apple Bank share the same vision for the community, which is to give back.
“The Brooklyn Public Library is a hub of the community, and I feel that our bank is as well,” said Martin. “We want to provide a better quality of life in the community we serve.”
Both Martin and Raison hope that those who attended the event with their families not only had a good time, but left having learned about the various cultures that live in Brooklyn.
“We hope that we have broadened their horizons and inspired families to read a book or cook a meal of a different culture,” said Martin.
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