Something for all ethnic groups at
Ethnic Festival in Oak Park

By ERIC LINDEN

Almost incredibly, more than a few Oak Park residents were surprised on
Saturday to see thousands of residents of all ages, races and ethnic
backgrounds literally parading on the streets of northeast Oak Park. But
that and much more is what happens at the annual Ethnic Festival held by
the Oak Park Elementary School District 97.

The parade each year starts the annual festival that celebrates the
diversity present in Oak Park and its public schools. "Ethnic Festival
2000: Peoples of the World Facing the Future Together" on May 6 had
something for everyone in celebration of the village's "ethnicity," as
it was called by Dwight Bailey, co-pastor of Austin Boulevard Christian
Church, 634 N. Austin Blvd. in Oak Park.

"I'm not going to say anything. I just hope the festival speaks for
itself," said Bette Wilson, the director of the Multicultural Education
Department for the District 97 schools. The department holds the ethnic
festival each year to promote diversity and publicize the school
district's efforts to encourage multiculturalism. After the parade, the
event is hosted at Whittier School, 715 N. Harvey Ave., where the school
district's Multicultural Resource Center is located. The center provides
educational resources on multiculturalism for students, teachers and
community organizations.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Ethnic Festival 2000 did its best to
celebrate its mission--from the opening parade, to the food court, to
musical offerings to a laundry list of other activities.

"I'm here to celebrate our ethnicity," said Rev. Bailey.

The festival morning began under a bright, borderline-blazing sun with
the traditional parade. An Oak Park fire truck with siren blaring headed
the parade, which was watched by residents at curbside along the way
from Thomas Street to Cuyler Avenue, to Ontario Street and to Harvey
Avenue. Up near the top of the line was the parade grand marshall: Oak
Park and River Forest High School student Gianna Baker, an honors
student who was this year's winner of OPRF's Martin Luther King Jr.
Oratorical Essay Contest and who has made regular public appearances to
deliver her speech and its call to remember the lessons of racial
justice brought out by Dr. King.

"Though his short life," Baker said of Dr. King during her recitation of
the speech at Ethnic Festival 2000, "he demonstrated the courage that
all of us must grasp to change not only our community but our country
also."

Baker was one of the people riding a ceremonial vehicle in the parade,
as were Oak Park Village President Barbara Furlong; representatives of
Oak Park's most integrated policy-making organization, the Oak Park Area
Arts Council; the Chinese American Families of Oak Park; Village and
Blue Cab Co; OPRF school board member Regina Kwan Peterson and
superintendent/principal Susan Bridge; and a host of others. Ending the
parade was a jalopy with a shamrock and an Irish flag.

Also in the parade were hundreds of walkers, families from all the 10
schools in Oak Park, students such as the Percy Julian Junior High
School Marching Band and--walking and throwing candy to children
watching the parade--District 97 School Superintendent John Fagan and
Assistant Village Manager M. Ray Wiggins, among many others.

It was then on to informal time around Whittier, which featured constant
reminders of the "ethnicity." The Whittier School building and the
grounds were dotted with flags from nations around the world and other
decorations. Attendees also visited the "international marketplace" of
exhibits of 18 organizations offering everything from African American
quilts, a demonstration of East Indian Henna painting and sari wrapping,
a display of Haitian art and displays of African art, African drums,
crafts from around the world and displays from Haiti, the art of bonsai,
Polish weaving, Scandinavia, American Indians and more. And also during
this time, vendors sent up the food court.

Under a big top adjacent to the athletic fields and the main school
building were vendors that served cuisines that, again, spotlighted the
varied "ethnicity" in Oak Park: Del's lemonade from Oak Park (a popular
item on the warm day) was next to Louisiana sausage that benefited the
Fred Hampton Uhru House in Chicago, which was next to Egyptian food,
which was next to Vietnamese food, which was next to Geppetto's Italian
restaurant in Oak Park, which was next to Philippine food, which was
next to West Nigerian food featuring "Taco Nigerian," which was next to
Rum Thai restaurant on North Avenue in Chicago across from Oak Park,
which was next to De Lux Catering, which was next to Whole Foods Market
in River Forest, which was across from Indonesian cuisine, which was
next to Haitian cuisine, which was next to Gellineau's Fine Catering,
which was next to Swedish cuisine, which was across from #1 Chop Suey in
Oak Park. Anchoring the food court was Robinson's No. 1 Ribs, the
landmark Oak Park restaurant.

An even more extensive list came from the entertainment and performances
by a high number of student groups. Again in keeping with the
multicultural theme, performances in the Whittier auditorium and in the
school's lobby, courtyard west lawn, main stage and the kindergarten
patio was still another array of ethnic variety. The list of performers
and entertainers included the following groups:

* Percy Julian Junior High Jazz Band
* McNulty Irish Dancers
* OPRF High School Gospel Choir
* CAST, the arts program at Julian
* OP-RF Children's Chorus
* Emerson International Dance Troupe
* Oak Park Recorder Society
* Oak Park/River Forest Dance 2 Express
* Whittier and Beye String Students
* Percy Julian Junior High String Ensemble
* Emerson Junior High Symphonic Strings
* Sokol TNT Tumbling Team
* Bharata Natyam East Indian Classical Dancers
* Haitian Drum Group
* Souvenirs of Paris
* Walter Mitty Jazz Band
* Curtain Calls
* Busa Family
* Chicago Lemonade
* Beye School Jazz Band
* Mann School Steel Drum Band
* Dancing by Spanish students at Longfellow School
* International Spanish Immersion Class Dancers from Lincoln School

And the opening ceremonies in the auditorium also showcased the return
of OPRF High School student Folin Ponce-DeLeon, who performed an
original composition, "Celebrating Diversity Through Song."

"You know, it's an honor," Ponce-DeLeon said about once again being
asked to perform her song stylings at the Ethnic Festival.

The success of the Ethnic Festival and the turnout that now reaches
thousands "says a tremendous amount about this community," said District
97 School Board President Elizabeth Lippitt, "especially this support of
our unique children."

See some photos of the event