Celebrating the diversity of our community has been the mission of the Annual Unity in the Community Festival (UIC) for 23 years in a row. We are proud of the legacy of UIC, and on Saturday, August 19, 2017, we invite everyone in our community to join us in a celebration of community. culture and connections. The Unity Parade (new this year – registration required) begins at 9:00 am followed by the festival at 10:00 am at Spokane Riverfront Park and goes until 4:00 pm.
Every year a team of dedicated volunteers put together this event to showcase the diversity of our great Spokane community and to promote unity and inclusion. Current events have brought a renewed focus on valuing the diversity of our community, and for UIC members, it is more important than ever to focus on bringing the community together to celebrate all the things that unite us rather than divide us. This year the theme of our event is Our Diversity is Our Strength!. Over the years the organizers of UIC have collected and donated more than 1,400 bags of school supplies for needy children in our community and have given away over 150 bicycle helmets. Thousands of children and their parents have walked through the Cultural Villages and had the opportunity to learn about other cultures represented here in our community. Once again we invite everyone, kids and adults alike, to visit the Cultural Village and take an imaginary trip to another land, maybe even learn a phrase or two in another language.
The festival also features a health, youth, career/ education fair, as well as booths from different agencies and community resources. The youth area is very popular with attendees, and two years ago we added a Senior Area to provide information and resources to our seniors. We are grateful for our many sponsors to help make this possible. We have partnered with STCU this year and are very excited to be able to promote our event even more. Our area sponsors are Aetna, CHAS and Community Health Plan of Washington.
The program includes performances and music from talented community members. Throughout the day we will also be giving away prizes. There are too many activities to list them all, so come join us and experience a day of family oriented fun. Unity in the Community is the only multicultural event of its kind in our region, and we will be delighted to have you join us.
