15 Aug Third Annual Multicultural Festival in Antioch Is ‘Like a Holiday That Brings Families Together’

A young Raiders fan has their interest piqued by the Chinese dragon dance performed in Antioch at the Multicultural Festival.

Story and photos by Joe Porrello

Antioch’s Recreation Department and Bay Area Backyard Movement, a nonprofit created in 2020 to help small businesses while unifying communities through events, hosted the third annual Multicultural Festival on Saturday.

Community members gathered at WIlliamson Ranch Park to see dances from different cultures, eat a wide array of global cuisines, and have fun with the family taking part in games and activities.

Over 60 different tents and trucks lined the grass, selling food and merchandise — like Italian ice, lumpia, clothing and plants — as well as giving out information for things like college and travel groups.

A 95 degree day with no clouds in the sky didn’t stop attendees from enjoying the festivities, a few of whom said they are used to it; others used nearby shade to eat and temporarily cool off.

 

Festival attendee Clifford Nivens Jr. said he is pleasantly surprised by the new city he calls home. A Black man from Oakland, he says stories he heard about Antioch regarding racism made him hesitant to make the move. However, he was met by welcoming neighbors and has not had any recent experiences with discrimination.

“Don’t listen to what everybody else is saying until you know firsthand… until you get to know people personally,” he said.

Events like the Multicultural Festival challenge stereotypes and enable diverse bonds to form, says Nivens.

“Once you get out here and interact with everybody, you might think differently,” he said.

 

Trista Gullon, a resident of Antioch since 1991, had a similar sentiment to Nevins Jr.

“This shows everyone that Antioch is still safe and that there’s good things here; It’s not as bad as it looks on social media,” she said.

As owner of Melody’s Dance Studio, one of 10 that performed at the festival, Gullion says she tries having a presence at all local community events to brighten people’s days. The studio will have shows at Antioch’s Rhythms by the River concert series and Tunnels of Joy Christmas, along with Brentwood’s Hometown Halloween.

 

Nicole Almassey, the director of outreach and welcome services at Los Medanos College, says its booth was aimed at offering people an academic path of success.

“We just want to connect with our community and really drive home that education is the way to a better economic future,” she said.

Living in Antioch for over 30 years, Almassey noted how intrinsically valuable events like the Multicultural Festival are.

“We can get very siloed in our different areas of the city, so just bringing everyone out and showcasing everything the city has to offer in a family friendly way is really important,” she said.

Moving to Antioch at the turn of the century, festival attendee Herman Lavrgne says the city is much more diverse now and that events like Saturday’s reflect such change.

“We need more events like this,” he said.

His wife, Latonya Lavrgne, pointed to all of the different cultures she saw represented at the festival as a source of comfort.

“It’s almost like a holiday that brings families together,” she said.

Part of that came in the form of various dances specific to many different cultures performed throughout the day.