Dancers from the Burmese American Community Institute perform during the DIA! celebration at the Clark Pleasant branch of the Johnson County Public Library in April. The dancers will again be performing at the library for the Cultural Fair, taking place from 1-4 p.m. Saturday.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
For a few hours this weekend, visitors to the new Clark Pleasant library can travel around the globe without ever leaving Johnson County.
People can try foods from Japan, India and Cuba, among other countries. They can learn about the games, clothing and languages one would experience in those locales.
Dancers will twirl and mesmerize the audience with steps brought from Myanmar.
“Our biggest hope is that guests will learn something new. We want them to take this opportunity to meet their international neighbors and learn about cultures that are different from our own,” said Wendy Preilis, manager of the Adult Learning Center for the Johnson County Public Library.
Local residents can experience the diversity of the county’s population during a new event created by the library. The Cultural Fair, scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday will feature food, dance, music and other information about countries from around the world.
Exchange students attending county schools this year have volunteered to share about their own homes. A “passport” activity encourages people to get stamps at each international exhibit, earning them a special prize.
The event is a chance to interact with people and cultures that otherwise many local residents would not, Preilis said.
“We really want to showcase that Johnson County is a place we can all belong, especially here at the library — that we have resources for everybody,” Preilis said. “We want to make people aware that we’re not really all that different. We may have different cultures, but we’re all still human beings.”
The Cultural Fair was created through the library’s Adult Learning Center. September is Literacy Awareness Month, and the learning center uses that occasion to highlight services available to adults in the community.
Through the library, people come to the Adult Learning Center program to learn English as a second language, navigate American culture and get more comfortable in their new home.
Participants receive one-on-one tutoring, conversation groups and book discussions.
“They get to learn a lot about American culture, and we thought this would be a great way for them to share their culture,” Preilis said.
The Cultural Fair also falls into the Welcoming Week initiative, put together through the Welcoming America organization. The initiative is a nationwide effort encouraging organizations and communities to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places.
Library officials liked that goal, and wanted to help showcase the cultural depth of the community, Preilis said.
On Saturday, the entire Clark Pleasant branch of the library will be filled with exhibits and activities related to different cultures.
Area restaurants will be serving international fare to sample. Children and adults can do arts and crafts such as origami or painting an elephant to represent India. A student visiting the county from Honduras has planned a nature-themed activity.
Attendees can try on a pair of virtual reality goggles to see what life looks like in different countries.
A Cultural Fair Passport will encourage people to visit the different tables and booths, to get the full experience of the fair, Preilis said.
Dancers from the Burmese American Community Institute will perform during the event, and festivities will close with traditional Cuban music played by a local family.
“We’re hoping to have a great crowd, and have people come in to really learn about their international neighbors,” Preilis said.
IF YOU GO
Johnson County Public Library Cultural Fair
When: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10
Where: Clark Pleasant library, 350 Clearwater Blvd., Whiteland
Cost: Free
Information: pageafterpage.org/cultural-fair
