A warm, sunny Saturday last week set the stage for Hopewell Township’s Second Annual Cultural Festival, drawing families and community members to Woolsey Park for a few hours of music, dance, food, and celebration of cultural heritage.
Organized by the Township and members of the local community, the festival ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and featured live performances, demonstrations, and cultural displays representing a wide range of global traditions. The event opened with remarks from Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, and Township Committeewoman Uma Purandare.
“This is about culture and the people in the community getting to share their culture with everyone,” said Purandare. “What a wonderful day! The sun is shining, and everyone is having such a great time!”
Performances throughout the day included Bollywood and classical Indian dance, taekwondo, sitar music, Chinese poetry, Uyghur and children’s dance, and a tabla duet. Groups participating included Jyotsna Dance Academy, Ahns Taekwondo, Huaxia Chinese School, Nupur School of Dance, Chetna Dance Academy, Nritya Traditions, and others.
Pennington native Rhea Yadav, a trained Kathak dancer and actor who hosted a booth offering dance choreography and voice lessons. Yadav, a graduate of Ithaca College with a BFA in Acting, said she was excited to bring her Indian-American identity and artistic passions to the festival.
In addition to the performances, booths across the park offered hands-on cultural activities and information. Karime Picos of Pennington hosted a booth about Mexico and her Mexican heritage, offering a tortilla-making demonstration and inviting visitors to try on traditional clothing.
“I wanted to help and show what we bring to the table as immigrants,” Picos said. “Food brings people together, and everyone relates and connects to food.”
She shared stories about the types of corn used to make masa and explained each step of the tortilla-making process with guests who stopped by her table.
Now in its second year, the Cultural Festival is a way for the community to come together and share parts of their culture with everyone.
photos by Mike Chipowsky and Seth Siditsky
