Cultures will again gather in the streets of Columbus for the city’s annual Ethnic Expo.
Forty Ethnic Expos have taken place since the festival’s inception in 1984.
“Forty years for an event is a really big accomplishment and we are definitely back and bigger and better,” City of Columbus Communications and Events Coordinator Jody Coffman said. “We had our biggest year last year post-COVID, which was about 30,000 people came over the two days and we were super excited to see the community back out celebrating all the culture and heritage that make up Columbus and Bartholomew County.”
The expo will be Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on both days. It will take place around the Columbus City Hall at 123 Washington St.
This year’s event will have about 30 countries and cultures represented, Coffman said. More food and marketplace vendors than ever will be present at the expo, with 40 food booths representing 26 countries and 20 marketplace booths representing 14 countries.
“Some new food booths that we have this year include Indonesia and Saint Vincent and Ethiopia and Eritrea, so we’re excited of course to always feature some new flavors…,” Coffman said.
kidscommons will also host activities for kids including a scavenger hunt, Coffman said.
New to this year’s expo will be a food truck area, to be located left of the beer garden, which has moved to south of First Street on Washington Street so it can be a part of DORA. Eight food trucks, each representing a different country, are scheduled to be at this year’s expo, Coffman said.
“In the past all of our food vendors have always just been in tents, and we still have tons of tents, but one of the great things about adding in the food truck area is a lot of our vendors have moved towards having those mobile kitchens and these are local vendors,” Coffman said. “And so now we’re going to be able to feature them serving straight from their trucks.”
Acting as Friday’s main entertainment act will be Southern Indiana Taiko from 6 to 6:45 p.m., who will also be offering a taiko workshop from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Other entertainment offerings Friday night include Mariachi Sol Jalisciense and the Cummins Diversity Choir on the main stage, and Marissa Fullenkamp and DJ Mariana on the Biergarten stage.
Brett Wiscons of Greenwood will serve as Saturday’s main entertainment act from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with other acts including CGM Percussion and Bruce Humpries. Liah Mazz will have a belly dancing performance and workshop from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Both of the main acts have been moved to 6 p.m. this year to make the event more family-friendly, Coffman said.
“… and afterwards both nights, we’re going to feature local DJ, DJ Smooth G, on the main stage,” Coffman said. “He’ll be playing tunes for everybody so we’ll still have music going all the way until 10 o’clock.”
Like last year’s expo and the first few expos in the 1980s, no host country has been selected to have its own corner of the expo space. Coffman said they have been returning to their roots of the first few Ethnic Expos, and not having a host country gives them the opportunity to celebrate everyone.
“… I hope that (attendees) look forward to celebrating all of their neighbors and making this a happy, fun-filled weekend where we’re celebrating the community,” Coffman said.
