AMHERST — The town of Amherst is gearing up for its inaugural Global Village Festival coming in the spring at the Amherst Town Common.
Scheduled for April 5, the festival will be a “vibrant celebration of cultures and community” through an array of activities, including international food trucks offering cuisine from various cultures, live performances showcasing traditional music and dance, and local vendors representing diverse crafts and products.
“I am truly excited about the festival and the sense of belonging and community it will bring to Amherst,” said Philip Avila, Amherst’s assistant director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “Whether you’ve been a part of this town for generations or have just recently arrived, this festival is for you.”
“It’s an opportunity for all of us to connect, celebrate our unique backgrounds and strengthen the bonds that make our community special,” he continued.
According to Avila, the town’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office and Amherst Human Rights Commission have a history of celebrating many cultural events throughout the calendar year, but after a recent meeting, the HRC recommended that the DEI team consolidate these events into one or two major celebrations annually.
Avila said this new approach will therefore feature a diverse range of activities that “showcase the rich traditions of different cultures” since multiple groups will be participating.
“This unified festival represents a significant shift in the town’s programming, moving from several individual cultural celebrations to a single, cohesive event designed to strengthen connections within and between Amherst’s vibrant communities,” Avila said.
Even though the festival is not until April, preparations for it are already occurring, according to Avila, who said he is actively engaging with various organizations and forming a planning committee that will convene monthly.
“This committee will collaborate to divide tasks and responsibilities, ensuring that every aspect of the festival contributes to its success,” he said.
According to the town, the festival is also a collaboration between Amherst Regional Public Schools and the Multilingual Parent Advisory Council, which typically hosts the Linguistic Heritage Celebration to honor diversity of languages spoken in Amherst and surrounding areas
The Global Village Festival will be an extension of that.
“By collaborating with the town of Amherst’s Global Village Festival, we aim to deepen community engagement and foster appreciation for the vital role linguistic diversity plays in enriching our schools and neighborhoods,” said Superintendent of Amherst-Pelham Regional Public Schools Dr. E. Xiomara Herman.
In a statement about the festival, Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman expressed his excitement for the new festival coming to Amherst.
“For many years, our individual cultural celebrations brought together diverse voices and traditions,” Bockelman said. “Now, as we consolidate these events, we will bring together the entire community to recognize the rich contributions of everyone involved and the vibrant community we’ve built. We are excited to collaborate with our dedicated partners to enhance and expand our programming through this festival, fostering inclusivity and celebration for all.”
Readers can learn more about the new festival by visiting amherstma.gov/3812/DEI-Programming.
