Carla Clark | For The Republic Dora Glover and Tyreecia Morgan prepare Jamaican food at Niki’s Urban Eats booth during Ethnic Expo in Columbus, Ind., Friday, October 11, 2024.
The 40th anniversary of Ethnic Expo dawned under sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60s Friday morning with a record 39 food booths at First and Washington streets in downtown Columbus.
The top number of eating stations at the international festival was made possible by organizers returning to the original Expo model of no specific host country in one corner of the site, which opened added food space amid cosmopolitan culture.
“I think that everyone is enjoying this throwback to the earlier Expo formats,” said Jody Coffman, communications and events coordinator for the city of Columbus.
“And the turnout so has been fantastic. We couldn’t have asked for a better crowd “
Expo continues today from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with entertainment, more food representing a variety of nations and an international bazaar.
Most recent years, the free outdoor event attracts an estimated 25,000 people.
Former Columbus first lady, the late Barbara Stewart, launched the gathering in 1984 as a way of helping international residents feel more at home here and to share their culture with others.
Of the public, Stewart used to say, “If you want to educate them, you have to entertain them.”
Expo entertainment includes music, dance, and much more, rain or shine.
Coffman said she is unsure if Expo will stick with the return of no host country next year in favor of more food overall.
“I’m just happy,” she said nearly three hours into the event, “that we’ve had a wonderful, steady crowd all day.”
