Summer is ripe, and culture is flowing at Shelburne’s Multicultural Day

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

Like many events in the world during this time, Shelburne Multicultural Day has decided to go virtual.

This cultural event has lots to offer and does not want the public, and the community to be left out. This year’s event will feature: art, poetry, foods from a variety of cultures, artists, and live recorded performances of entertainers, recipes, vendors showcasing their work, and much more all taking place for the entire month of August.

Shelburne Multicultural Day is an inaugural event meant to showcase cultural diversity in the community. This very popular event offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy arts, crafts, and foods from the residents and businesses in Shelburne.
Now in its 3rd year, this multi-cultural event has a proven track record of bringing the Shelburne community together as well as the rest of the county.

This event has become purposeful in many ways:
Breaking barriers of communication
Building and connecting a community where people would be proud to be a part of
Creating new business opportunities to cater to the community’s cultural needs
Helping current businesses know how to cater for the community’s needs
Educating our younger generation on different cultures of the world and allowing them to show their creativity
Opening the door for future growth
Spreading a positive message about who we are as a community

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper spoke with Althea Casamento, host of the Shelburne Multicultural Day, and Vice-Chair of Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination Task Force about the origins of the event, its growth, and going virtual.

Casamento told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper she is floored at the growth of this event after starting from a small room in a community library to where it is at today. “In 2019, I again booked the same room in this community library and was so happy with the turn out that I actually had to arrange to get a bigger facility, because I could not accommodate the amount of people that wanted to participate.”
“This year,” she said, “I was even happier, because, not only did Shelburne participate but Dufferin county also. I added an extension to it called a vendor’s market where local businesses in the community that are culturally based can get a boost and showcase what they have to offer.”

“Unfortunately,” Casamento said, “COVID happened, so I decided to have something virtual. We are still able to celebrate with the community despite everything that is happening. We are not able to have that in-person feeling, but at least we can share with each other virtually and know that we are still there supporting each other.”

“I am Guyanese, and when I moved to Shelbourne from Brampton it was a bit of a cultural shock for me. After talking to other community members that moved here, I learned it was the same for them. My kids experienced the culture shock as well, so the goal of Multicultural Day at the start, was to make sure that the younger generation understands that they do not have to lose who they are to fit in.”

The summer is ripe, and the culture is flowing. Visit Multicultural Day!