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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city is preparing for its inaugural Multicultural Parade &amp; Festival, set for Saturday and Sunday.</p><p>The event will celebrate the city&#8217;s diverse cultural and ethnic heritage through music and food. Mayor Tony George said the parade/festival is a great opportunity for organizations and businesses to support and honor the backgrounds of the city&#8217;s residents.</p><p>&#8220;When I began my campaign for mayor, I knew it was important to bring the community together,&#8221; said George, who took office in January 2016. &#8220;As the national news networks have shown us, there is hostility in the air, in cities and towns across the nation. Fortunately, Wilkes-Barre is a city that is committed to celebrating the diversity of our residents and sharing our cultural traditions with our neighbors &#8212; people of all ethnicity, religions, cultures and creeds.&#8221;</p><p>The mayor said that in Wilkes-Barre and surrounding towns, most people can trace their grandparents and great-grandparents as immigrants to the United States. George said he grew up in a Lebanese-American family that still expresses its heritage through language and food.</p><p>&#8220;Remembering and continuing our families&#8217; heritages though language, food, traditions and stories is what makes NEPA such a great place to live,&#8221; George said. &#8220;We are all Americans, yet we still honor the traditions that our ancestors practiced as a connection to their homeland.&#8221;</p><p>George said our differences make us stronger as a community and bring new perspectives to the challenges we face every day.</p><p>&#8220;Although our nation may feel divided, our community is strong and will continue to stand united,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Angel Jirau, head of the Spanish American Leaders Serving All (SALSA), will march in the parade Saturday morning with the Wilkes-Barre Latino Softball League. Jirau serves on the planning committee for the Multicultural Festival.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve approached the city about having a festival like this for years,&#8221; Jirau said. &#8220;Mayor George was very receptive to the idea, so we had a meeting and talked about ways to get the community working together. And what better way to bring people together than music, food and fun.&#8221;</p><p>Jirau said he expects hundreds of people to attend the event.</p><p>&#8220;This will be a festival that will offer the community the opportunity to get together, learn about each other and enjoy each other&#8217;s traditions,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The city is still seeking participants for the parade and festival. Participation in the parade, which starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, is free and will be family-friendly.</p><p>Organizations and businesses interested in participating should contact Patty Hughes, the city&#8217;s special events coordinator, at phughes@wilkes-barre.pa.us.</p><p>Participants are asked to include any information they would like to share about the culture they are representing &#8212; traditional clothing, dances, and any other points of interest &#8212; so that it can be announced during the parade.</p><p>For other Multicultural Parade &amp; Festival stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/tag/Festival2017" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George says, &#8216;We are all Americans, yet we still honor the traditions that our ancestors practiced as a connection to their homeland.&#8217; (Aimee Dilger | Times Leader) </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL011517George2-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George says, &#8216;We are all Americans, yet we still honor the traditions that our ancestors practiced as a connection to their homeland.&#8217; (Aimee Dilger | Times Leader) </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL090415Jirau1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Angel Jirau, head of the Spanish American Leaders Serving All (SALSA), is a member of the planning committee for the Multicultural Parade &amp; Festival. (Aimee Dilger | Times Leader) </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL090415Jirau1-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Angel Jirau, head of the Spanish American Leaders Serving All (SALSA), is a member of the planning committee for the Multicultural Parade &amp; Festival. (Aimee Dilger | Times Leader) </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>IF YOU GO &#8230;</strong></p><p>&#8226; <strong>What</strong>: Inaugural Wilkes-Barre Multicultural Parade &amp; Festival.</p><p>&#8226; <strong>When</strong>: Saturday and Sunday, Public Square.</p><p>&#8212; On Saturday, the event begins at 11 a.m. with the parade, which starts at South Main and South streets. The parade lineup forms at 10 a.m. Participants will march down South Main and turn left at Public Square.</p><p>&#8212; On Saturday, the festival begins immediately after the parade and continues through 9 p.m.</p><p>&#8212; On Sunday, the festival runs from noon until 8 p.m.</p><p>&#8226; <strong>Parking:</strong> None on Public Square during the event.</p><p>&#8226; <strong>Info</strong>: To participate, contact Patty Hughes, the city&#8217;s special events coordinator, at phughes@wilkes-barre.pa.us.</p><p>&#8226; <strong>Media Sponsor: </strong>Times Leader Media Group</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Aug. 5-6 Multicultural Parade & Festival to celebrate Wilkes-Barre’s diversity