The Cascade Ridge Elementary School PTSA staged a remarkable event at the school on Friday night. Their Festival of Cultures is fast becoming one of the best-attended school events in the district.

On Friday, hundreds of parents and friends of the school filled the gymnasium for a celebration of the many cultures which make up the Issaquah and Sammamish community.

From France, Sweden and the Netherlands across the globe to Samoa, back up to Korea and India and over to Iran – dozens of different countries were represented. At each nation’s stall there was food, facts and artifacts. The aim of the event was not only to be a celebration of community, but also to give the young students an insight into life in other parts of the world.

Armed with a “passport,” the students made their way from country to country, where they spoke with some of the ex-patriots and recent immigrants who now call Washington home.

A highlight of the evening was the exhibition by the Hwang’s Taekwondo School, of Redmond. Followed by an equally captivating exhibition of dancing from the Middle East, it was a lively conclusion to what was a night of great color, culture and community.