Pangea brings the world together

Culture | November 16th, 2016

By Amy Venn amyvenn86@gmail.com

Pangea--Cultivate Our Cultures will be hosted by the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (HCSCC) on Saturday, November 19th at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead. Attendees can expect 30 different vendors, 15 musical performances, and more than 11 food cultures represented at the event.

“It’s a way that we can all introduce one another to other cultures. It’s the feel-good event of the year,” Markus Krueger, Programming Director at HCSCC, said in anticipation of Pangea. “It’s food from all around the world from people right here.”

Now in its 22nd year, the festival gives people a chance to not only try different foods, but to experience other cultures. Pangea was started by Yoke-Sim Gunaratne and Irene Hogan with Cultural Diversity Resources, and are both still involved with the festival planning today.

“About 30 years ago we started getting an influx of people coming in from other places that are not the traditional places where American immigrants used to come from,” Krueger said, “Our local immigrant history and present is one of the most interesting things about us. It’s one of our best-told stories.”

Pangea is a popular festival and free for all who attend. Krueger explained, “We don’t want money to be an obstacle for anyone wanting to learn.” Restaurants as well as individuals will be cooking in licensed kitchens and serving the community a big dose of culture. The French Club will be serving up crepes and the German Club from Concordia College will be selling their advent calendars. Other countries being represented include India, Mexico, Denmark, Somalia, Haiti, and many more.

Krueger, a descendent of immigrants himself, is dedicated to community education about immigration. “So many of us are descended from political refugees, economic refugees, people fleeing terror. Why do we think we are so different from each other?”

“When I see a new American who is working for their citizenship, I see my great grandma who came from Sweden. This topic is something I’m passionate about,” he said.

Vaishali Mohite, who will be making a Rangoli painting with colored rice powder, is a featured project and located at the front entrance. This is a temporary art form, and as is traditional, the piece will be destroyed at the end of the day. Also being featured is a photo exhibit, “The World in Fargo Moorhead.” The creators will be at the festival to speak about their art.

Musical performances will take place on the main stage beginning at 10am. There will also be food court performances from 11am to noon. Vending booths will be located throughout the building and will include shopping, craft demonstrations and information.

IF YOU GO

Pangea--Cultivate Our Cultures

Saturday, November 19

Hjemkomst Center, 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead

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