AGAWAM – Understanding and welcoming many cultures into the community is important for children and adults alike. On Nov. 2, the Agawam Family & Community Program will host their first Multicultural Festival at the Agawam Public Library. The event will highlight the customs, culture and traditional dishes of several countries from all around the world.

Michelle Connery, Grant Coordinator for the Agawam Family & Community Program, hopes the festival will show residents the array of cultures that are present in the community. “Our objective is to connect parents and their families to the communities that they live in. Agawam has a growing ESL (English as a Second Language) community. We thought it would be great to showcase families of different cultures to other families in the community.”

Between 10-12 families will feature displays themed with information about their culture. The event will be hosted in the conference room of the library. The room will be lined with tables from each family representing the culture of their country. A table in the center of the room will have food from the different places around the world for families to try.

The families participating in the Multicultural Festival are primarily residents of Agawam and West Springfield. Among the countries being showcased are Russia, Uganda, China and Italy.

Connery welcomes all families in the community to come to the event and experience the many cultures that are represented in the Agawam and West Springfield community. “Families of all ages are welcome and it’s a great opportunity to make our kids aware that there are so many families from other cultures and countries. It builds great bridges, the more we learn from each other.”

The event is made possible by a state-funded grant through the Department of Early Education and Care under the Agawam school system.

The Agawam Family & Community Program is a resource for families, providing access to education and care programs for families with children up to 8 years.

The Multicultural Festival will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the Agawam Public Library at 750 Cooper St.