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Celebrate Diversity and Share Your Cultural Heritage
The Taste of Diversity Festival will be held Saurday, June 2, at Grant Street and Lafayette Avenue in Buffalo. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Continuing its tradition of showcasing Buffalo's rich ethnic heritage, the 2012 Taste of Diversity Festival will celebrate a range of cultures through food, historical displays, music and dance, art exhibits and crafts.
Admission to the festival is free. Music starts at 11 a.m. Food will be provided by local restaurants and will provide festivalgoers with a taste of the multiethnic flavor of Buffalo. This year the festival will highlight the traditional flavors of Native American, Nepalese, Ethiopian, Italian, Puerto Rican, German, Bhutanese, Peruvian, Lebanese and Southern American cuisine. Food tickets are $1 each, and items cost between one and six tickets.
Entertainment is scheduled to take place on the main stage and at various locations around the festival.
The event will also feature family activities , interactive displays, and art shows, as well as various vendors and exhibitors.
All are welcome to attend.
For more information, visit: www.tasteofdiversity.org or tasteofdiversity.facebook.com.
The Taste of Diversity Festival benefits the community by helping to revitalize the area and by highlighting the people and cultures that make up the West Side community. Each year, the festival is organized by a group of dedicated volunteers with a commitment to promoting inclusion and to enhancing the quality of life for residents of Buffalo.
The celebration was founded in 2003. It started as a grassroots gathering when diverse neighbors came together at Our Lady of Loretto church to share their culinary skills and cultural heritage through music, dance and food.
By 2007, the gathering had grown to more than 1,000 attendees and more than 20 different ethnic and cultural groups represented. In 2010, the City of Buffalo acknowledged the gathering as an official festival and, in 2011, the Taste of Diversity grew into a city celebration of one of the most diverse zip codes in the county.
This year the festival expects to attract between 2000- 3000 attendees during the event.
Main Stage entertainment provided by: | |
Fleuron Rouge |
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N'Dais |
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The Rockaz |
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Step in Time |
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Honest Penny |
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Sitar Jams |
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Our Lady of Hope Kids Choir |
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Bhutanese Dance |
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Nadia Middle Eastern Dancers |
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Belly Dancers |
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African Drum and Dance |
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Reggae, R&B, Funk |
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Irish & Scottish Traditional |
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Euro Folk |
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East Indian |
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French & Mixed |
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Bhutanese |
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Lebanese |
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Italian American |
Food and beverages provided by: |
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Lucy Ethiopian |
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Whole Hog |
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Pure Peru |
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RJ Funnel Cakes & Fried Veggies |
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Lemonade Stand |
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Ferrante's Specialty Italian |
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O'Connell's American Bistro |
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Sand Plaintain (from West Side Bazaar) |
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Roaming Buffalo |
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Neto Hatinakwe Onkwehowe |
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Puerto Rican Bakery |
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Sun International |
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Willie's Little Corner |
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Ethiopian |
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Southern American |
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Peruvian |
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German & Dutch |
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American |
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Italian |
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French/Vietnamese |
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African |
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Buffalo Favorites |
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Native American |
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Puerto Rican |
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Thai |
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Caribbean |
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Nepalese |
The Taste of Diversity Festival is funded by Niagara District Common Council Member David Rivera, PUSH Buffalo, Grant-Ferry Association, Buffalo State Community Academic Center, M&T Bank, KeyBank, First Niagara Bank, Houghton College, Sisters of St. Mary Our Lady of Hope Parish, Lorigo's Meating Place Inc, Royal Printing, Grant Street Neighborhood Center, West Side Business & Taxpayers' Association, Buffalo Public Schools, Multilingual Education Department, University at Buffalo/The State University of New York, 257 Lafayette Center, International Institute of Buffalo, Journey's End Refugee Services Inc, CEM, Falls Tent and Awning, G&L Flooring, Pencil In the, River Studio, Niagara Spotlight, Westside Stories.
The Taste of Diversity Festival is sponsored by PUSH Buffalo & the Grant-Ferry Association, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.