WPSU, SCASD to Host Multicultural Children’s Festival

The WPSU/State College Area School District Multicultural Children’s Festival will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, at State College Area High School. The Multicultural Children’s Festival is one of WPSU’s largest family events and focuses on sharing the many cultures that are represented by the people who live throughout central Pennsylvania.

Interactive activities along with music, food and more will entertain as well as educate. Admission is free.

“Now in its third year, the WPSU/SCASD Multicultural Children’s Festival will bring families together to learn about the world and experience the cultures they may have left behind or have yet to experience in person,” Isabel Reinert, executive director and general manager for WPSU, said. “This nationally recognized event honors the diverse backgrounds of so many in our community. We are thrilled to collaborate with the State College Area School District to bring it to life again this year.”

Lixian Wang is the Chinese language teacher at State College Area High School and the organizer of the Chinese culture booth and performances for the festival. She will join her students and the Chinese community to present a rich display of Chinese culture.

“Children are naturally curious and prefer to learn about the unknown through hands-on and interactive methods. The Chinese culture booth will showcase Chinese writing, writing tools, ancient books and traditional toys. Additionally, there will be performances of Chinese songs, traditional dances, Tai Chi and traditional musical instruments,” Wang said. “This is not just a cultural display but also a platform to foster mutual understanding and respect, contributing to building a harmonious, diverse and inclusive society. We encourage every child and adult to experience and embrace the beauty and diversity of cultures from around the world.”

Shannon Bishop, chief of staff for the College of Informational Sciences and Technology at Penn State and owner of Black Cat Belly Dance, will be returning to the festival again this year for an impromptu dance lesson for children interested in learning more about the Egyptian culture.

“Our goal is always to share our love of Egyptian music, dance and culture with our local community. We hope our audiences will see the ways in which music and dance are universal languages and the cultural elements of the dances we do are so important,” Bishop said. “We use all Arabic music in our performances, so that people can learn about the rich diversity in the musical traditions, and we perform several folkloric dances that represent various regions of Egypt. We hope everyone will come away from our shows with a piece of Egypt in their hearts!”

Learn about global culture through art, music, crafts, six different food trucks and more at the WPSU/SCASD Multicultural Children’s Festival on April 6 at the State College Area High School. Children who attend are given a PBS passport booklet that can used to acknowledge a visit to each of the activity stations.