Pangea Celebration Showcases a World of Traditions

Experts say over the past decade the diverse population in the Red River Valley has doubled.

A festival embraces people to share their culture with the community. Pangea a cultural celebration, an educational experience and a taste of the world.

“So I think you can see that even in the Fargo Moorhead area, everything is changing. There’s more diversity, so people like to know more about those groups and culture too. Which is exciting!” says Yoke-sim  Gunaratne, Cultural Diversity Resources Executive Director.

21-years-ago when Pangea was created, 500 guests attended.  Now they’re expecting over 2000.

“The exciting part is you have a lot of people coming for the food, because there’s so many ethnic foods,” says Gunaratne.

Vendors had authentic dishes from their countries at an affordable price too, so people could sample food from around the world.

Watching cultural performances is just one of the fun activities here. But for performers, it’s a way to showcase their heritage. Dance Ishika Gupta honored Diwali, the festival of lights in India.

“I really wanted to do a song that relates to that because that was just this past week,” says Gupta.

Gupta has been performing at Pangea for the last four years. She says Pangea is the perfect stage for sharing a tradition she loves. It’s why Pangea has become a new tradition for her and many others.

The event continues to be free for the community due to sponsors and supporters. The next Pangea Festival will be in December 2016.