VGCC Invites Public To Cultural Fair, Black History Month Program March 26

Two different, but related events, of interest to the community will be held in the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center on Wednesday, March 26.

The annual Vance-Granville Community College Cultural Fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a Black History Month program featuring Raleigh News & Observer columnist Barry Saunders will be held from 6 to 9 p.m.

The public is invited to attend both events, which are free.

This year’s Cultural Fair will feature booths or representation from about 15 countries, including Afghanistan, China, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ireland, Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, The Philippines, Sierra Leone, Trinidad, Ukraine and Vietnam. VGCC students and their instructors will prepare most of the displays, and many will have ethnic foods to sample. Food sampling will be from 11 a.m. to 12 noon.

Additionally, local vendors and artists will sell their wares. A partial list of vendors includes Brenda Taylor Rice, Creations by Copper Rain and Maria Bailey, Creative Memories by Viola Brooks, General Nutrition Centers, Just Bag It by Shelia Robertson, Karen Ocholo with the International Palace, Pleasing Products by Shawn Spilman, Renata’s Ceramics, Three Ladies East and White Mandango.

A variety of entertainment, representative of several nationalities and cultures, will be presented on the Civic Center stage throughout the Cultural Fair. This includes VGCC Day Care Center singers, West African and Hispanic dancing, Los Hermanos Gomez  Mexican quartet with guitar, Dabney Elementary Choir “Royalty,” American line dancing and Hispanic dancing. VGCC drama students will perform short skits in between the musical performances.

VGCC student artwork will be displayed in the lobby, and several VGCC clubs will be represented. An insert in the fair’s program will allow visitors to test their cultural knowledge and to document what they learned by visiting the Cultural Fair.

The Black History Month program will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on March 26. This program was originally scheduled for Feb. 27 but was postponed due to an ice storm.

The program will feature remarks by Barry Saunders, a columnist for The News & Observer of Raleigh. Also, Gospel artist Mary Williams, a steel drum band and an African style dance group will offer musical entertainment, and Delamar Rackard will read excerpts from speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Admission is free to both the Cultural Fair and the Black History Month program.