Celebrate Cerritos’ rich diversity at Festival of Friendship

Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido

By Mayor Mark E. Pulido

The 16^th annual Festival of Friendship will be held on Saturday, February 7 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Los Cerritos Center. Each year I look forward to this event, which is a celebration of our City’s rich diversity and the friendships that bring our community together.

The popular festival is presented by the City of Cerritos and the Let Freedom Ring Committee, in conjunction with the Los Cerritos Center. Once again this year, the event will feature a variety of cultural entertainment on various stages, with local groups performing an assortment of ethnic songs and dances. Our town’s diverse population brings a cultural richness to the community that is celebrated at this event through dance, music and educational displays.

Cerritos is a community with people of many cultural backgrounds from around the world. Through the Festival of Friendship, the City of Cerritos is proud to showcase the cultural traditions of these diverse groups and to recognize the many different people who live, work and play together in Cerritos.

The groups who will be generously sharing their cultures at this year’s Festival of Friendship include Da’ Hawaii Seniors Club, Afro-Caribbean Dance Revue, Cerritos Folk Dancers, Amor de Mexico, Cerritos Chinese-American Senior Citizens Association, Chinese Culture Association of Southern California, PHILSELA, Oriental Moo-Do School, Liberty Park Tot Lot, JC Culture Foundation, Adaptive Recreation, Praise Dance, Chinese Yun-Chi Dance Association of America, Na Ipo Hula, Whitney High School Shanti Club, Southern California Phil-US Veterans Association, Filipino Cultural School, Four Seasons Autoharp, Ray Shine Choir, Puniwai Hula Halau, Dancefit Direct, Susana Elena Classical Spanish & Flamenco Dance, Emerald Isle, Filipino Seniors of Cerritos and Island Vibes.

The performances will be presented on three different stages: the Forever 21 Stage, the Sears Stage and the Nordstrom Stage & Children’s Area. Attendees can visit each stage to receive a special commemorative gift. For more information about this year’s Festival of Friendship, call the City’s Recreation Services Division at (562) 916-1254.

I can proudly say that Cerritos is a great example of people from diverse cultural backgrounds living together in harmony. It is rewarding to be mayor of a highly diverse City where our residents enjoy learning about the many cultures of the world and celebrating those cultures with events such as the Festival of Friendship. Please join us at this colorful event next month!