Celebrating the diversity of our community has been the mission of the annual Unity in the Community Festival (UIC) for 23 years in a row. On Saturday, August 19 the community is invited to join in. The Unity Parade (new this year—registration required) begins at 9 a.m. followed by the festival at 10 a.m. at Riverfront Park and goes to 4 p.m.

Every year a team of dedicated volunteers put together this event to showcase the diversity of our great Spokane community and to promote unity and inclusion. Current events bring a renewed focus on valuing the diversity of our community, and it is more important than ever to focus on bringing people together to celebrate all the things that unite us rather than divide us.

The festival features a health, youth, career and education fair, as well as booths from many agencies and community resources. Thousands of children and their parents have walked through the Cultural Villages and had the opportunity to learn about other cultures represented here in our community. The children and youth areas are popular with attendees, and two years ago they added a senior area to provide information and resources to our seniors.

The program includes performances and music from talented community members. Unity in the Community is the only multicultural event of its kind in our region. www.nwunity.org