Story & Photos by Cheri Tishman
Recently, I went to Ireland, Peru, Vietnam, Italy, Mexico and Argentina all in one day and without a passport!
I saw Chinese Dragons, Clowns, Shetland ponies, wrestling, cooking demonstrations and bounce houses all the same day! I went to Worldfest 2017, held April 2 at the Sportsplex in Coral Springs.
Thousands of residents from Coral Springs and the surrounding communities came together to share their own culture and to experience and learn about the cultures of others. Cultures from Ireland, Haiti, Mexico, Israel, India, Colombia, Puerto Rico, India, Italy, Asia and the Mediterranean were just some that were represented.
From 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., under overcast skies, the entertainment, arts, crafts, food, fun, family and friends were ongoing the entire day. Young and old alike, there was plenty to do for everyone. One of the big favorites among the younger crowd was the petting zoo, with goats, turkeys, a donkey and of course, pony rides. Baptist Health South Florida sponsored the Arts and Crafts tent with coloring, glitter, and painting. They also sponsored the Zumba dancing which got the kids and adults dancing and exercising in between the entertainment. The kids also enjoyed a puppet show by Darci sponsored by the Northwest Regional Friends of the Library.
Also performing this year were the Colombian Mambo and Salsa dancers, the Ramblewood Elementary Multi-Cultural Dancers, Lei Pasifica Ohana Polynesian Dancers, YoYo Demonstration, a Solo Silk Dance by Lotus Angel Michelle Le, K-9 Demonstration by the Coral Springs Police, Caballo de Paso Peruano, the Drake School of Irish Dance, Folkloric dancers of Mexico and many, many more.
And the food… the food was from all over the world, however, I noticed the longest line most of the day was for the Puerto Rican food.
I think that WorldFest is one of the best, most entertaining events that Coral Springs offers to the surrounding communities. There are enough activities to keep your kids and you entertained for the entire day. Worldfest is typically held in April. Watch for the dates for next year!
