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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The leaders of two of the city&#8217;s downtown organizations and a city councilman are hoping the community embraces this weekend&#8217;s inaugural Multicultural Parade &amp; Festival.</p><p>John Maday, president of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association, and Pat Parks, coordinator for the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Residents Association, believe the event is just what the city needs to promote understanding.</p><p>Set for Saturday and Sunday, it will celebrate the city&#8217;s diverse cultural and ethnic heritage through music and food. Mayor Tony George said it&#8217;s a great opportunity for organizations and businesses to support and honor the backgrounds of all city residents.</p><p>Maday and Parks agree, saying this is a new and exciting event for downtown.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s an excellent idea &#8212; something that is needed,&#8221; Maday said. &#8220;This will show how diverse we are. And especially with some of the news coming out of Washington about how they are trying to stifle immigration, I think this is a great idea.&#8221;</p><p>Maday said the festival will provide an opportunity to learn about all the different cultures that exist in and around the city.</p><p>&#8220;And it will draw attention to the downtown&#8217;s businesses,&#8221; Maday added. &#8220;It will be great for our businesses.&#8221;</p><p>Maday hopes the Multicultural Festival will become as popular and well-attended as the Fine Arts Fiesta and River Fest.</p><p>&#8220;This is one of those events that has been missing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I sincerely hope that this becomes another one of the great events that continues on in this vibrant community.&#8221;</p><p>Maday said DWBBA members have embraced the idea.</p><p>&#8220;Everyone I&#8217;ve talked to said they are supportive of this and many are involved with it,&#8221; he noted. &#8220;I feel we all should jump in and get even more involved next year.&#8221;</p><p>Parks said she attended similar events that have been aimed at integrating all cultures.</p><p>&#8220;Maybe this parade will help bring more people out to make people realize this is a big community here,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Things are changing in the world and this community, with many different cultures represented.&#8221;</p><p>Parks said the weekend weather is expected to be good and she hopes that a large crowd turns out both days. All too often, she said people are afraid of the unknown and a festival like this will offer the opportunity to learn about each other and hopefully gain a better understanding.</p><p>&#8220;This is a good idea,&#8221; Parks said of the festival. &#8220;We all can learn and experience each other&#8217;s culture and then, hopefully, we can all live better together.&#8221;</p><p>City councilman Tony Brooks said several neighborhood groups plan to march in the parade.</p><p>&#8220;Wilkes-Barre is a wonderfully, ethnically diverse city,&#8221; Brooks said. &#8220;We should always remember our heritage.&#8221;</p><p>Brooks said he grew up with ethnic festivals, and he noted the Fine Arts Fiesta was an ethnic celebration in its early years.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s important to celebrate one&#8217;s ethnic heritage,&#8221; Brooks said. &#8220;I will be marching with my Welsh flag and my American flag.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">John Maday </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_johnmaday.jpg</photo0><caption0>John Maday </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Brooks_Tony_mug-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brooks </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Brooks_Tony_mug-cmyk.jpg</photo1><caption1>Brooks </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</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>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. The festival begins immediately after the parade and continues through 9 p.m.</p><p>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><p>&#8226; <strong>Traffic restrictions</strong>: South Main Street, between South Street and Public Square, will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday during the parade.</p><p>There will be no parking on Public Square from 9:30 a.m. Saturday through 9 p.m. Sunday.</p><p>Attendees are encouraged to use downtown parking garages.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

City leaders hope for large turnout for Multicultural Festival