Alexis Gunderson

(301) 699-3500 x6158

alexis.gunderson@pgcmls.info

Largo, Maryland – On Saturday, September 27, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) will be hosting its 5th annual Festival of Cultures, an all-day, all-ages, free event that celebrates the County’s vibrant and diverse community. 

The PGCMLS Festival of Cultures honors the rich diversity woven throughout Prince George’s County, and fosters deeper bonds of understanding among neighbors. The Library invites community members to come together at the festival to build connections with each other through music, dance, art, and a sharing of traditions. 

“The Festival of Cultures theme — Many Cultures, One Heartbeat — encourages people to remember the threads that connect us, while also celebrating our differences,” says Maribel Rodriguez, PGCMLS Bilingual Program and Outreach Associate. “This festival is where the Library’s diverse community can come together to recognize our common humanity and to celebrate all of our different traditions, languages, dances, food, and stories.”

This year’s Festival of Cultures will be held at the South Bowie Branch Library from 10:30 am-2:30 pm on Saturday, September 27. In addition to local community resource partners, the anticipated performer line-up includes Semilla Cultural, the Cultural Academy for Excellence (CAFE), and Filipino folk dance troupe MABUHAY Inc. The Library’s own Kofi Bart-Martin, a native Fante speaker, will also be giving a presentation about the history and culture of the Akan people and language.

PGCMLS customers of all ages are invited to join their neighbors for a day of having fun and building connections with neighbors of all backgrounds! 

Festival of Cultures: Many Cultures, One Heartbeat

Free | Saturday, September 27, 10:30 am-2:30 pm | All Ages| South Bowie Branch Library

Community members are invited to join PGCMLS at the 5th Annual Festival of Cultures: Many Cultures, One Heartbeat!

Featured programs include:

Bomba Storytime: Presented by Semilla Cultural

10:45 am | Ages 5-12 

This special storytime will feature the author of “Sofia and her Bomba Drum,” Isha M. Renta López, a Puerto Rico–born meteorologist, award-winning community leader, and practitioner of the Afro-Puerto Rican tradition of bomba since 2007. This program will feature live music! 

Filipino Folk Dance: Presented by MABUHAY, INC.

11:45 am | All Ages

You are invited to enjoy an engaging and colorful dance performance by MABUHAY, INC., a local Filipino-American community group. Their dance performances will include carinosa, a romantic couple's dance using handkerchiefs and fans; pagapir, a graceful royal court fan dance from the Maranao Tribe; and tinikling, a traditional Philippine Folk dance with bamboo poles.

Akan of the West Coast: The Fante People and Language

12:45 pm | Adults 

In this special program, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the rich heritage of the Akan people, as well as the Fante language and culture. Presented by native Fante speaker Kofi Bart-Martin, Library Associate II for the Sojourner Truth Room at the Oxon Hill Branch Library, this program is a unique opportunity to connect with and understand the essence of Akan culture through its language and customs. 

Drumming: Presented by Cultural Academy for Excellence

1:45 pm | All Ages 

This drumming performance will be presented by the Cultural Academy for Excellence (CAFE), a Mount Rainier-based youth program that uses the visual and performing arts as the catalyst to develop passion and discipline for learning, leadership, and academic achievement.

To discuss coverage opportunities, contact PGCMLS Communications Specialist Alexis Gunderson at alexis.gunderson@pgcmls.info.

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About the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is a beacon within its diverse and dynamic community. The Library serves Prince George’s County, Maryland’s 966,000+ residents through 19 public branches, a law library in the County Correctional Center, various pop-up services and events, and 24/7 access to free online resources. As a trusted and responsive community leader, PGCMLS democratizes knowledge and opportunity by providing safe, accessible spaces where customers of all backgrounds can freely engage with the resources needed to build knowledge, literacy, skills, and creativity at every phase of life. Learn more at pgcmls.info/about-us.