CHANDLER, Ariz. — The City of Chandler’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Division invites the community to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Chandler Multicultural Festival, a free event highlighting the city’s vibrant cultural diversity through live performances, storytelling, art, cuisine and more.
The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park: Stage Plaza, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave. in Downtown Chandler.
Celebrating its 30th year, this festival will be the largest one yet—attendees can enjoy live entertainment from local and international talent on two stages, shop for unique treasures from around the globe, and stop by to connect with multiple nonprofits, faith-based organizations and other educational groups in Chandler serving all communities.
The festival also will feature a diverse array of cuisines available for purchase, including flavors from Jamaica and the Caribbean, Mexico, Colombia, Hawaii, the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, India, France, Germany and Croatia, along with classic American fare.
Children’s activities include a trip around the world interactive activity, educational STEM booths and the Arizona Cardinals inflatable obstacle course.
New this year is a custom cruiser car show, featuring custom vehicles from all over the Valley. Trophies will be presented to the first-, second- and third-place cars, and attendees may cast a vote for the People’s Choice Award.
In addition, the DEI Division has partnered with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to host a Naturalization Ceremony at 10 a.m. — right before the festival begins. During this special event, approximately 100 individuals will become U.S. citizens. Chandler’s Chief Presiding Judge Alicia Skupin will be the featured keynote speaker at the ceremony, sharing her unique perspective as a first-generation Latina and as both a daughter and wife of naturalized U.S. citizens.
Below is the performance schedule for both stages. Brief descriptions about the performers (along with a list of participating community organizations, food vendors and merchants) are available at Chandler Multicultural Festival.
Unity Stage
- 11:15 a.m. | Lion Dancer Ty Ng and the Cast of Arizona Art Academy
- Noon | Kilted Spirit
- 1 p.m. | Tony Duncan
- 1:45 p.m. | Mayor's Remarks
- 2 p.m. | Sandra Bassett
- 3 p.m. | Chilenos Sin Fronteras
- 4 p.m. | Creative Expression Competition Winners presented by Mayor Kevin Hartke (Note: The winning artwork will be on display during the event (near the stage) and also will be featured online at Chandler Creative Expression.)
- 4:30 p.m. | A3X
Cross-Cultural Stage
- 11 a.m. | Dance Team
- 11:25 a.m. | Guitarras Latinas
- Noon | Lets Belly Dance
- 12:30 p.m. | Kriti Dance
- 12:35 p.m. | Intel will announce its current cohort of grant awardees from its Equity in STEAM Initiative in partnership with the YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix
- 12:45 p.m. | NKT Lions
- 1 p.m. | Mayor's Remarks
- 1:05 p.m. | The Prancing Panthers Majorettes
- 1:15 p.m. | NoopurAZ Dance LLC
- 1:25 p.m. | Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ
- 2 p.m. | Miss Indian Arizona Isabella Kara Newman
- 2:15 p.m. | Hawa Ensemble
- 2:50 p.m. | Bautista Kajukenbo Dragons
- 3:15 p.m. | Ballet Folklorico del Valle del sol
- 3:50 p.m. | Serenity Dance
- 4 p.m. | Presentation of Miss Juneteenth Arizona Queen Mara McPhail and/or Runner-up Alyssa Morrison
- 4:05 p.m. | Haitian Cultural Dance
- 4:25 p.m. | The Arizona Korean Dance
- 4:40 p.m. | Art 2 Hear Guzheng Group - Sophia Wong and Sabrina Wong
This year’s festival is sponsored by SRP, Intel, Arizona Cardinals and PFM Asset Management. Event admission is free, along with free parking in multiple parking garages located in the downtown area.
For more information on the annual festival, contact Adrianna Tušek Erickson at 480-782-2224 or Dara Gibson at 480-782-2221.
Media Contact:
Stephanie Romero
Public Information Officer, City of Chandler
480-782-2231
