Hundreds visited the Concord Multicultural Festival in Keach Park to celebrate music, cuisine and other cultural traditions from around the world on Sunday.
The theme of this year’s event was “This is US.” The organizers suggested the theme emphasized “the fact that each of us is a unique and beautiful thread, woven together creating a vibrant social fabric that makes our community so special.”
Festival participants said they welcomed the chance to share more of their culture with their neighbors in New Hampshire. Sangabo Saggow and her mother, Batulo Mahamed, served Somali meat pies to eager customers.
“We never really heard of people having Somalian food,” Saggow said. “I think it was important for us to be a part of the festival to show another variety — even though there already is a lot — I still think it’s important to not forget about certain places.”
Mahamed, too, said she appreciated the chance to help people branch out and try something new.
“It’s good to see different people, different cultures, different food,” Mahamed said.
“You can taste which ones are good and which are not good. Better than what you cook in your own house, you know!”
They said they’re considering opening a restaurant to sell more Somali food, so they took it as a good sign that their dishes — like many others at the festival — sold out quickly on Saturday.
Now in its 14th year, the event featured food from Turkey, Rwanda, Somalia, South India, Mexico and more.
The lineup of performances also included Burundian drummers, Argentine tango, Irish dancing and Nepali folk songs.
