LEWISTON, ME (April 20, 2023) – People from various origins, ethnicities, and cultures call the City of Lewiston home.  On May 11, the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council, in partnership with LA Arts, is going to highlight that diversity from 6 – 8 PM.  (A visual is attached) 

Let Diversity Shine, a free event, will be held at LA Arts, 168 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, and will provide attendees with many opportunities to enjoy and learn. 

The scope of the event is as follows:

 ·        Interactive information booths to include Somalia, the Ivory Coast, the Irish, the French, the Hungarians, the Sudanese, and the Gabonese.  More are welcome to participate by signing up at www.lewistonmaine.gov/letdiversityshine; 

·        Booths will feature explanation of practices, memorabilia, flags, books, jewelry, food samples, and words in the respective language for attendees to learn; 

·        A red carpet will be on site for booth representatives to take center stage with a presentation. Maine State Rep. Margaret Craven, for instance, will be provide an Irish demonstration. 

·        Well-known fiddler extraordinaire Greg Boardman will perform a set of French folk music commencing at 6:30 PM.  LYAC member Ava Golder will provide a looping cultural music playlist as a backdrop for the event, and LYAC hopes to book additional musical performances before the event date. 

·        LYAC members will provide historic facts about Lewiston’s five largest waves of immigration:  Irish, French, Greek, Lithuanian, and Somali. 

·        An International Basket will be featured as a door prize, which will be filled with various cultural items, to include books on Lewiston history and ethnic cookbooks.  Lewiston restaurant gift cards will also be part of another drawing. 

·        A post-it area for folks to share what they know about diversity will be available upon arrival, as well as a post-it area to share what attendees have learned during the event as folks exit. 

In addition, although certainly not required, attendees are welcome to come in their own cultural attire, and a few LYAC members will be doing the same in light of the group’s own diversity, which includes the Dominican Republic, Somalia, and China.