SCOTTS VALLEY — Around 20 countries were represented at the third annual Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair, which featured dance and musical performances from cultures around the globe on a shaded stage in Skypark on a hot and sunny Saturday. Although his native United Kingdom was not represented at the fair, Scotts Valley City Councilmember Allan Timms was still excited for the event and was helping the many fairgoers with parking under the sweltering sun Saturday. “For me this is such an important event because it reflects how Scotts Valley is evolving,” said Timms.
“It’s much more inclusive and welcoming and diverse, which is excellent. And what amazes me about this event in particular is that it’s run entirely by volunteers. No one is making any money from this and that’s pretty cool.
” Among the many volunteers at the Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair was owner of Yoso Wellness in downtown Santa Cruz Jenna Dahlen who was enjoying the fair with her daughters alongside helping out. “There’s lots of vibrancy and energy between the different country’s exhibits and they have all these hands-on activities,” said Dahlen. “One of my daughters wrote her name in Japanese and we got a hair clip from Polynesia that she hand made.
What I am really enjoying about this is that it’s very immersive. All of the different booths have something to take you into their experience.” The inaugural Multicultural Fair was held by the Scotts Valley Unified School District in 2022 and was so welcomed by community members that the district partnered with the city of Scotts Valley and moved the celebration from Vine Hill Elementary School to Skypark.
The second event was well-attended despite the rainy weather and with clear skies for the third fair Saturday, even more community members found their way to Skypark to learn about interesting aspects of world cultures such as the food and drink of Argentina. “People often think that soccer is the only thing we bring to the table,” said Paula Pasquini of Scotts Valley, who was born in Argentina and was representing the country at the fair Saturday. “Argentina has a very rich culture with a long history and honestly it’s our food that we should be known for more than our soccer ability but I’m sure there are a lot of people that would fight me on that one.
” Pasquini said that Argentine cuisine is especially delicious because of the quality of meat that is available in the country. “It’s all about the cut and the quality,” said Pasquini. “And the mate is another thing that people like to learn about.
It’s not just tea, it’s a community builder. When you have your mate, you have it with close friends and family and sit in a circle and pour your own and pass it around and everyone drinks from the same cup as they talk and chat and have pastries.” Les Sarile of Scotts Valley was teaching fairgoers about the culture of the Philippines at the Multicultural Fair Saturday in Skypark.
(Aric Sleeper/Santa Cruz Sentinel) Performers young and old took the stage at the third annual Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair. (Aric Sleeper/Santa Cruz Sentinel) The Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair featured dance performances from all over the world at Skypark Saturday. (Aric Sleeper/Santa Cruz Sentinel) Les Sarile of Scotts Valley was teaching fairgoers about the culture of the Philippines at the Multicultural Fair Saturday in Skypark.
(Aric Sleeper/Santa Cruz Sentinel) Les Sarile of Scotts Valley was representing the Philippines with his family at the fair Saturday. He moved to America in the 1970s and said that, in a similar way to the U.S.
the Philippines, is a melting pot of many cultures, but with better food. “The thing that we miss the most is the local food, of course, and the variety of fruits,” said Sarile. “The Philippines is called the melting pot because they have every culture there.
There are thousands of dialects too. My wife speaks a dialect I don’t understand and I speak a dialect she doesn’t understand. There are areas in the Philippines where the people only speak Spanish.
And the oddest thing to me is that basketball is huge in the Philippines. If you’re an American basketball player, you’d be a superstar over there.” Scotts Valley Youth Services librarian Emily Bresett was helping kids make cardboard four-leaf clovers and Irish flags among other activities such as a guessing game at the Ireland booth.
Bresett has Irish heritage and even visited the country when she was 11 years old. “It is so beautiful there,” said Bresett. “They don’t call it the Emerald Isle for nothing.
” After being impressed by the Multicultural Fair last year, Scotts Valley resident Bill Schraft made it a point to check out the event again Saturday because he said it helps him expand his awareness of other cultures. “We tend to be too isolated as Americans,” said Schraft. “I think we need to improve our worldview and events like this help us to understand that we have more similarities with other cultures than differences.
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