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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city&#8217;s inaugural Multicultural festival continued Sunday for its second day of ethnic food, colorful costumes, lively dancing and appreciation for diverse cultures.</p><p>A parade took place on Saturday followed by a festival on Public Square. The focus on Sunday was food and band shell performances, Mayor Tony George said.</p><p>The food available at the event was just as eclectic as the day before &#8212; Italian, Polish, Middle Eastern, Caribbean and more.</p><p>Performances the second day were as diverse as the local cultures proved to be at the event.</p><p>Scoil Rince na Connemara, a Northeast Pennsylvanian school for Irish dance, showcased its dancers, who varied in age. Each dancer wore colorful, unique costumes, calf length socks and a smile while they performed.</p><p>The girls presented both group and solo dances, with soft shoes loosely resembling American ballet slippers and hard shoes resembling American tap shoes.</p><p>Mexican dancers, young and old, returned in their elaborate costumes to perform their same routines for the second day.</p><p>Performing later was local band Moodswing, a funky classic R&amp;B band.</p><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s something for everyone, everywhere,&#8221; said Tyler Ryan, the performances&#8217; emcee and executive assistant to the mayor. &#8220;This is something that, as a city, we&#8217;re really happy to put on again today. Everyone worked together on this,&#8221; she added, pointing out the representatives from local government in attendance.</p><p>Mayor George said he hoped to bring the different cultures in the city together for the event.</p><p>&#8220;We want everyone to interact with each other to see that they&#8217;re really not that different. Cultures might be different, languages might be different, appearance might be different, but we&#8217;re all the same,&#8221; he said.</p><p>George added that he feels the event has been successful in that respect. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s going great. I think it really worked,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The mayor pointed out that the country and city have always been a &#8220;melting pot,&#8221; and as a second generation Lebanese descendent, he has seen it firsthand.</p><p>&#8220;We came, we settled in one area, the Hispanics settled in one area, the Irish settled in one area &#8230; I&#8217;m trying to get everyone together,&#8221; he said.</p><p>&#8220;I think the best part, too, is that it&#8217;s not just people of European descent experiencing other cultures. It&#8217;s individual cultures meeting each other, too,&#8221; Ryan added, using the example of locals of Middle Eastern descent being introduced to those of Hispanic descent.</p><p>Ryan said that the city is looking to expand the event in 2018.</p><p>&#8220;Anyone who wants to join in next year &#8212; start letting us know,&#8221; she said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Alexandra Rivera, left, and her grandmother, Andrea Garcia, work at the Puerto Rican food tent at the festival. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_multi2_faa-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Alexandra Rivera, left, and her grandmother, Andrea Garcia, work at the Puerto Rican food tent at the festival. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_multi3_faa-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Theresa Pearyer, originally from Trinidad, sings along with the DJ as her husband, Tyrone, an Indian, enjoys jambalaya under the large tent on Public Square Sunday at the Multicultural Festival. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_multi3_faa-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Theresa Pearyer, originally from Trinidad, sings along with the DJ as her husband, Tyrone, an Indian, enjoys jambalaya under the large tent on Public Square Sunday at the Multicultural Festival. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_multi4_faa-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mason Thomas, 6, blows bubbles on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre during the Multicultural Festival. Mason is of Mexican, Peruvian and African American descent. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_multi4_faa-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Mason Thomas, 6, blows bubbles on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre during the Multicultural Festival. Mason is of Mexican, Peruvian and African American descent. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_multi1_faa-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jose Luis Jr., left, jokes with his friend, Mario Velazque, on Sunday while holding Bunnie, his girlfriend&#8217;s plush toy which for the past 30 years has gone everywhere with them. The men of Puerto Rican descent attended Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s inaugural Multicultural Festival on Public Square on Sunday, which Mayor Tony George deemed a success. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_multi1_faa-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Jose Luis Jr., left, jokes with his friend, Mario Velazque, on Sunday while holding Bunnie, his girlfriend&#8217;s plush toy which for the past 30 years has gone everywhere with them. The men of Puerto Rican descent attended Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s inaugural Multicultural Festival on Public Square on Sunday, which Mayor Tony George deemed a success. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Toni Pennello</p><p>tpennello@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Toni Pennello at 570-991-6121 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

As Wilkes-Barre’s Multicultural Festival concludes, mayor calls it a ‘success’