Volunteers spend 4,800 hours each year organizing the Plano International Festival, a celebration of the many different cultures represented in North Texas. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Haggard Park in downtown Plano.

The backstory

The festival was made possible when former Plano mayor Pat Evans launched the Multicultural Outreach Roundtable (MCOR) in 2005 to address the diverse needs of the city. This citizen advisory committee created the festival as its first initiative to unite residents from many different backgrounds and experiences.

“The Plano International Festival is a work of love,” said festival president Graciela Katzer. “It's so heartwarming to put this event together for the community.”

What to expect

The festival begins with a naturalization ceremony, where candidates receive their U.S. citizenship. Following the ceremony, attendees can enjoy nearly six hours of performances representing many different cultures, Katzer said.

“Our highlight is always the fashion show where we have several cultures represented in their native dress,” Katzer said. “They have a chance to say something about their culture, what they're wearing and what makes it special.”

In addition to stage performances, the festival features an art exhibition, cultural booths, food trucks and many more experiences.

Katzer said the festival is for people of all ages. There are many activities for children such as an instrument petting zoo, STEAM activities that teach about science, technology, engineering, art and math, as well as arts and crafts. Children at the festival can get a passport and collect stamps from different countries represented at the festival. When they fill up their passport they can get a prize, she said.

Meeting community needs

In addition to fun activities, the Plano International Festival also helps meet community needs. The wellness fair, which is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., provides a variety of free health services such as blood pressure and glucose testing, flu shots for children and adults, vision screening, bone density testing, and more.

Katzer said the wellness fair helps underserved members of the community who may not have access to health insurance get the health care they need.

The festival also promotes mental wellness through yoga sessions and fitness activities for attendees of all ages.

Festival organizers also take pride in making this a free event, open to everyone in the community.

“We work really hard to raise enough through sponsors and community partners so that the event is free of charge,” Katzer said. “We try very hard not to change that because we want the community not to have any reason to stay away that day.”

The Plano International Festival also values education and community partnerships. In conjunction with the Plano Symphony, it hosts a benefit performance on the afternoon of the festival, called Dancing with the Symphony, whose proceeds help fund the symphony's scholarship program. This program provides music students in Plano ISD with free private music lessons to help support their musical education. These scholarships empower talented students

who might not have access to private lessons.

Taking care of the environment

Another aspect of the Plano International Festival that makes it unique is its commitment to sustainability.

“We try to be very environmentally friendly,” Katzer said. “Last year we were able to divert 91% of our waste from the landfill. We really are very proud of that.”

This is achieved by supplying all food vendors with biodegradable and compostable food service items--including plates, flatware, and cups--and collecting all waste in separate bins for organics, recyclables, and landfill waste. These measures and others make the high diversion rate possible.

Join the celebration

“This is a great way for everyone to exchange ideas and see, through food, through dancing, and through art that we have much more in common than we have differences,” Katzer said. “It is a great way to celebrate what makes our city strong.”

Join the festivities at Haggard Park, located at 901 E 15th St., Plano. Find more details and learn how to get involved at www.planointernationalfestival.org.

The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.