Students from local international clubs show off traditional dress and other items from Armenia during the 2023 Cultural Fair at the Clark Pleasant branch of the Johnson County Public Library. This year’s event will be 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the library, to showcase food, performance, traditions and more from cultures around the world. SUBMITTED PHOTO
For local residents, it’s an opportunity to step into another world.
Visitors to the Clark Pleasant branch of the Johnson County Public Library on Saturday can find taekwondo and yoga demonstrations. They will be able to sample cuisine from around the world, from Liberia to Saudi Arabia to Japan. Kids can make crafts stemming from unique cultural traditions, and people have the chance to enjoy global dance and music.
At the library’s Cultural Fair, the goal is to take guests around the world without ever leaving Johnson County.
“Maybe the library can be the place that you can listen to some other accents, listen to some other languages, learn about someone else’s religion or why they dress that way,” said Wendy Preilis, manager of the Adult Learning Center. “And hopefully can all feel a little bit more comfortable.”
The Cultural Fair has become one of the Clark Pleasant branch’s favorite annual traditions, bringing representatives from around the community to share the cultural highlights from their home countries. This year’s event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the branch, located at 350 Clearwater Blvd., Whiteland.
In addition to food, demonstrations and performances, the festival will feature an international museum, presentations from local international clubs and an opportunity to learn about Transparent Language, an app that teaches other languages.
Organizers have given the event a tagline — “Meet Your International Neighbors.”
“We want Johnson County to be a very welcoming community for anyone who comes here,” Preilis said. “Sometimes, the more you know makes that a little bit easier. When we can put these different cultures on display, it makes a little more familiar, and then maybe you’ll feel more confident shaking your neighbor’s hand, talking with your neighbor, inviting your neighbor over for coffee or tea.”
The Cultural Fair was created in 2022 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.
“We try to use this cultural fair as a way for the adults we work to share their culture,” Preilis said. “They spend a lot of time learning English and American culture and laws and customs. This gives them the chance to say, here’s a little bit of information about what we do in our country.”
On Saturday, the entire Clark Pleasant branch of the library will be filled with exhibits and activities related to different cultures.
The library has collected a vast array of items from around the world, everything from toys to money to cultural religious pieces. This international museum will include a whole room filled things offering a glimpse into everyday life around the globe, Preilis said.
Throughout the space, international clubs from Whiteland Community High School, Clark-Pleasant Middle School and Franklin College will offer displays featuring information about different countries.
“We’ll also have people stationed around the library that you can ask about their country, ask about the food,” Preilis said.
Representatives from South Korea and Japan are set to showcase taekwondo and yoga traditions for the public. Local restaurants such as Athens Greek Restaurant, Mumbai Grill and Mr. Patacons have offered to present samples of food from Greece, India and Colombia. Dance, music, crafts and activities are also planned for the afternoon.
In addition, Exodus Refugee Immigration from Indianapolis will be on hand to provide information about resources they provide. The group provides services for to meet the resettlement needs of refugees and other displaced people fleeing persecution, injustice and war by welcoming them to Indiana.
“There’s not a lot of services available in Johnson County for our immigrant community, so this will hopefully connect people with the work they do and the services they provide,” Preilis said. “We’ll also be holding a donation drive for some things they need, toiletries and other things, that they give away to the people they help.”
One of the most exciting features will be a demonstration of the app from Transparent Language, a company that offers language services for government officials, schools, businesses and libraries. Using your JCPL card, local residents can access the app to increase their fluency in more than 100 languages.
“We’re kind of using the event to talk about the resources we have here at the library,” Preilis said. “If you’re traveling, if you want to learn how to talk to your co-worker who doesn’t speak English, just kind of little easy things like that can be found on that site.”
IF YOU GO
Cultural Fair
What: An opportunity from the Johnson County Public Library to experience the food, dance, traditions and more from culture around the world.
When: 1-4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Clark Pleasant branch of the Johnson County Public Library, 350 Clearwater Blvd., Whiteland
Cost: Free
Information: pageafterpage.org/literacy-awareness-month
