Not having grown up in the Cerritos-Artesia community, I have been pleasantly amazed throughout this past year as to how much goes on in the area and all the unique individuals I’ve met at events and gatherings.  I had never before attended the Festival of Friendship, but I was curious to see what this annual celebration at the Los Cerritos Center was all about.  

With three different stages and a variety of performances scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., it made it easy to catch bits and pieces of different music and dances at various times.

When I arrived at the festival, I saw a performance by Island Vibes, a duo of Craig Fundyga and Gee Rabe playing music that’s a mix of Caribbean, Calypso, Tropical music. They used two unique instruments: the steel drum (instrument originated from Trinidad and Tobago) and vibraphone (looks like a big xylophone). The music has a way of relaxing you and transporting you to a tropical vacation. I chatted with the duo a bit after they left the stage and learned that they have been playing for over 20 years at events such as birthday parties and luaus, and have even performed in an episode of the popular TV series Friends (during Phoebe’s wedding).

I also happened to catch the performance of the Chinese Yun-Chi Dance Association of America at the stage by Sears and learned that it’s a dance that promotes health and well-being. And many senior citizens engage in this synchronized dance because it’s a meditating way to exercise.  

Over at the Forever 21 stage, I watched a group of kids all dressed up in traditional Mexican dance attire for their “Amor de Mexico” performance.  Not only were the kids adorable, but I found it refreshing to see kids engage in their culture at such a young age, planting smiles on their proud parents' faces.

The atmosphere of the entire festival was very family-friendly, with a Children's Craft area that gave kids the opportunity to decorate hats and balloon guitars alongside their peers. Food samples from restaurants such as Red Robin, Chick-fil-A and the Nordstrom Cafe were passed out during performance intervals. I loved that people were still able to enjoy performances at the festival but were also able shop around and eat during the breaks!

It's events like this that remind you that this neighborhood is rich with so many cultures and traditions and how the community is filled with so many talented individuals. Events like the Festival of Friendship not only recognize diversity in the community, it also teaches children to embrace and celebrate the differences in others --making them more accepting and open-minded as they make connections in the years to come.