The World Heritage Cultural Center (WHCC) celebrated cultures and cuisine from all around the world at its inaugural International Food and Music Festival on Saturday, May 10.

Held at the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Main Station, the festival featured over 20 performances representing countries such as India, Argentina, Moldova, Korea, Spain, Ecuador, and more.

Many different artists and dancers delighted the stage throughout the day. Each performer came onstage one after the other for a nonstop showcase of culture. These performers included pianist and entertainer NXGB from Central New Jersey, Kalinka Dance Ensemble performing traditional folk dances, Manuel Trillo performing Latin dances such as the tango and rumba, and much more.

Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer Shuga had such lively energy that people got out of their seats and danced together while she performed song after song.

The festival also had plenty of Jamaican, Brazilian, and Indian food for hungry attendees to try. Local gelato shop Dolce Italian Ice & Gelato sold sweet treats such as truffles and cake in a cup, while local restaurant HillTop Kitchen sold dishes like eggplant fritters and mac ‘n cheese.

The goal of the festival, WHCC Founder Sattie Persaud said, was to blend music and food to create unforgettable memories and foster appreciation of cultures from around the world.

“We just wanted to do something beautiful for the community and bring people of all ages together,” Persaud said.

The Sandy Hook International Food & Music Festival is a dream come true for Persaud, who said she always carried a vision for a world where every culture has a seat at the table and people are celebrated for who they are. Persaud’s passion for culture ties to her background, as she said she came from eight generations of women who “weren’t allowed to dream.”

To break that cycle, Persaud said she worked three jobs to support her family and pour whatever extra money she could into WHCC. It was her hope to create something binding people across every border, language, and culture that helped lead the WHCC to where it is today.

With the Sandy Hook International Food & Music Festival marking WHCC’s 291st concert across the US since 2005, Persaud said they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

“Hope is what kept me going when no one else believed,” Persaud said. “Hope is what tells us that peace is still possible. That empathy is still alive. That love — above all — can still win.”

The event also united local businesses and organizations such as Friends of Newtown Seniors, Newtown Lions Club, and Newtown Allies for Change, as representatives from each group set up tents along the side of the festival for attendees to visit and learn more about.

Businesses and organizations from the surrounding community, such as Ethan Allen Hotel, nonprofit Danbury Student & Business Connection, and community and agricultural support group Harmony Grange No. 92 in Monroe, also had their own tents to reach out and connect with the Newtown community.

Newtown Smile Dentistry Office Coordinator TK, who was also a part of the board running the festival, represented Korean culture at her booth, where she sold her own paintings, cards, coin purses, and fans. For the special occasion, she decorated her booth with colorful purple and orange flowers, and sported a traditional light pink Korean dress.

Some of the other vendors at the event were Mumcy Mpelege and Rati Mokgosi, who sold handmade baskets and other items such as hats from Botswana. Those who live around the Okovango Delta, located in northern Botswana and one of the biggest deltas in the world, study the patterns of animals in the area and translate them onto the baskets.

Former Newtown resident and civil rights activist Christopher Vichiola was also in attendance. He was personally asked by Persaud to get involved with the event, and will continue to work with her even after the festival to help her secure fundraising for a permanent WHCC site in Monroe.

Vichiola said the fact that people are bringing different cultures together is incredibly important.

“I feel very strongly about this, especially today with how divided the country is right now,” Vichiola said. “It’s so important that we acknowledge what everyone from a cultural perspective can bring and offer to the United States.”

Light Of Hope

The festivities kicked off with a special lighting ceremony that Persaud said symbolized light over evil across all cultures. WHCC Board Member Anindita Nanda took the stage and expressed her gratitude to everyone in attendance for coming together and building connections through the shared joy of cultural expression.

Nanda said WHCC has paved common ground where culture can blossom since its establishment in 2005, and that the festival is only the next step in achieving their goals. Today, she said they honor the diverse patchwork of races and ethnicities in the US and worldwide, and breach gaps in cultural awareness.

“Your presence here helps preserve and sustain these diverse human celebrations,” Nanda said.

She continued by saying they light candles for awareness, for bringing light into the community, and for forging a brighter future.

Shortly afterward, Senator Julie Kushner took the stage and addressed the crowd. She said that she’s excited to see the work Persaud, Nanda, and the WHCC as a whole have been doing to champion diversity and celebrate traditional cultural heritage.

“The greater Danbury area is rich in diversity. It makes us a stronger, much more interesting, and greater community. So for me, this inaugural event highlights that diversity,” Kushner said.

To that end, she honored Nanda and the WHCC each with a General Assembly Official Citation for showcasing the richness of cultural diversity, community engagement, and more.

Other speakers included EmpowHER Legend Award recipient Elizabeth Guckenheimer, Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company Chief Anthony Capozziello, and Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity President Michael Burton.

Each person took turns lighting a candle with the help of Nanda, with her adding that she hopes every candle brings joy, awareness, and honor to the community.

For more information about the World Heritage Cultural Center, visit mywhcc.org.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.