Festival Beverly Hills Brings Together Cultures of the Community
Words and Photos By Mia Dawson
On Sunday, July 21st, Beverly Hills celebrated 15 cultures from around the world at their second annual Festival Beverly Hills. Families gathered together at the Beverly Hills Gardens through song, dance, food, and other engaging activities. From matcha making to Hawaiian hula dancers, the festival offered a taste of the beauty of expression and storytelling spread across different cultures.
Flags waved in the audience as people watched Einstein Brown and Cecil “Sensi” Francis play the steel pan drums in partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago consulate. Dresses in vibrant shades of white, blue, red, and yellow swirled through the air while members of The Four Corners of Columbia danced with audience members of all ages, joining hands and forming circles filled with smiles and laughter. “I try to support cultural events like this and be able to showcase my culture,” said Daniel Mondragon, who accompanied The Four Corners of Columbia dancers with guitar and song.
Other unique performances also graced the stage. Street Poets shared poems and stories reflecting the realities of marginalized communities". Mathew Cuban Hernandez, the director of community and probation programming for street poets, shared poems and stories reflecting the realities of marginalized communities", saying, “We don’t get a lot of poetry here in Beverly Hills, so it's really cool to let folks come and speak their mind and say their truths”. Guests contributed to a community poem on a whiteboard in front of the Street Poets’ table, adding words and phrases to create a collective piece". Following the poetry, the Bob Baker Theatre presented a lighthearted puppet show. The puppeteers, Nova and Kaiba, brought a variety of puppets to the stage, attracting a big crowd of children who sat shoulder to shoulder, mesmerized by the theatrical performances.
For a more immersive experience, visitors headed to the Hyperacuity and Blue Planet table, where they explored the Mogao caves in China through virtual reality. Wearing VR headsets, guests virtually walked around the caves, seeing details and perspectives that are typically inaccessible to most visitors.
The Festival was a great opportunity to bring together many different cultures that make up the mosaic that is Beverly Hills. Attendees engaged with performers, learning about the meanings behind the dances and stories, fostering an exchange of experiences, and strengthening community bonds.
