Unity event enlivens Liberty Park

For a few hours Saturday, Liberty Park in east Spokane transformed into an open-air exhibition of world cultures.

And kids at Unity in the Community’s first children’s village became world travelers.

Equipped with paper passports, more than 400 children gathered stamps from booths representing countries, regions and people ranging from Hmong, an Asian ethnic group, to Scandinavia. Along the way, they learned words in foreign languages and viewed artwork presented by costumed volunteers.

They later exchanged the passports and recited cultural facts about their tour stops to earn goodie bags.

The latest addition to the annual unity event, the village was designed to expose Spokane children to the ways of people they might not otherwise experience, said village organizer Alina Droz of Spokane Valley.

“Some people in Spokane, especially in the area we are in now, will never go to China, the Middle East,” she said.

Droz networked with people from 11 cultures to set up the booths, and Spokane girls participating in Girl Scouts programs painted elaborate cardboard backdrops for the displays. The virtual globe-trotting proved more popular than volunteers expected, Droz said.

“I thought 400 was too much, but we ran out before the end,” she said.

The village reflects a shifting focus of the once primarily African American event, now in its 12th year. More people of Asian and Middle Eastern heritage attended the gathering, said Ben Cabildo, an event organizer and executive director of AHANA, a minority business and professional association.

“This year reflects a diverse community,” he said.

Many at the event said they appreciated that diversity.

“It’s nice to see that we have some in Spokane,” said April Gleason, 45, of Spokane. “Sometimes you wonder.”

Sydney Armstead Reels of Marin County, Calif., sat in the shade Saturday watching a Middle Eastern dancer on a nearby stage. Armstead Reels, 42, grew up in Spokane and wanted her children to see the park where she once played and swam, she said.

“When I was growing up, there was a severe lack of cultural diversity in the community,” she said, adding that she was pleased to see people from different groups mingling. The gathering, themed “Color Your World,” also featured ethnic food booths, a career fair and gospel music that enticed the crowd to dance.

Volunteers from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office gave away about 470 bicycle helmets to children and adults, said volunteer Al Fisher.

“You’re just kind of seeing everyone putting their best face forward,” said Peggy McDonald, outreach coordinator for the Girl Scouts’ Inland Empire Council.