Umbrellas opened along with hearts Friday as a soggy 36th Annual Ethnic Expo international festival launched in downtown Columbus.
At least that’s the way South Korean native Kenneth Shim saw it as he watched various visitors — Latinos, Asians, Indians, you name it — walk along First Street amid the lineup of 35 food booths representing global cuisine.
“People know this is always going to be fun, regardless of the weather,” said Shim, treasurer of the Columbus Korean Association operating the South Korean booth. “This is a great time of everybody gathering together with everyone from different cultures and just being friends. It’s also a great time for people to share parts of their culture.”
Expo will continue rain or shine from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and also on Saturday in downtown Columbus near Columbus City Hall.
NOTE: Friday’s main stage entertainment has been moved to The Commons, including Raices Folklore, Ballet Folklorico, Kids Yoga Class, Adult Yoga Class, and Kiran Ahluwalia.
Visit ethnicexpo.org for more information.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
