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America’s Global Village Festival back on track

ONTARIO – Lions Park will be filled with the sights and sounds of a variety of cultures Saturday, June 4, for the eighth annual America’s Global Village Festival.

“We are very excited to bring it back after two years,” said John Breidenbach, president of the Ontario Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber sponsors the event but was forced to skip it in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid pandemic.

“This year everybody is excited about it,” said Breidenbach.

He expects at least 3,000 people to attend the event.

“Kind of the vibe we are getting is the crowds are bigger this year because people want to get back out,” said Breidenbach.

The event kicks off at 11 a.m. with a parade of participants and runs to 4 p.m.

The festival showcases different booths – or villages – representing an array of cultures.

This year, said Breidenbach, there will be African, Basque, Indian, Irish, Japanese, Mexican, pioneer and Scottish villages.

“The program is a day to celebrate the cultures that make up the western Treasure Valley,” said Breidenbach.

There will also be Native American entertainment, he said.

Admission is free. Children can acquire a passport when they enter and as they visit each booth, get a stamp for participating in a game or activity there. The finished passports can be turned in for a drawing for a free bike.

“We’d like the kids to come out and grab their passports and learn about cultures we have,” said Breidenbach.

There will be “authentic food and entertainment throughout the day,” he said.

The latter will include bagpipers along with Irish and traditional Mexican dancing.

An Abraham Lincoln re-enactor will also be at the festival giving speeches and talking to festival-goers, said Breidenbach.

Another attraction is the Highland games, which occur throughout the day and showcase traditional athletic events that celebrate Scottish and Celtic culture.

Breidenbach said another interesting event at the festival will be a swearing-in ceremony for 14 new American citizens.

“We really get to highlight what Ontario – and the western Treasure Valley – is as far as the diversity we have. To me it is a huge deal because we get to celebrate something we are,” he said.

The Global Village Festival began 20 years ago and became an early summertime staple for the local area.

For more information, contact 541-889-8012.

News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected].

Previous coverage:

In Ontario, the good times go global

Ontario goes global with village festival

Virus prompts Ontario chamber to cancel key events

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