Multicultural Festival in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown Saturday
Sponsored by City, Hayward-based Fil-Am organization
By Allen D. Payton
The City of Antioch with the Bay Area Background Movement will host a Multicultural Festival in Rivertown Saturday, August 20 from Noon to 7:00 p.m. in Waldie Plaza across W. 2nd Street from City Hall.
The Bay Area Backyard Movement is led by Klarize Bautista and is part of the Fil-Am Bay Area Pop Up organization based in Hayward that has already held two events in Antioch, last year.
“We first started off with Fil-Am Bay Area Pop-Up then we transitioned,” Bautista shared about her organization. “It’s still connected.”
According to their website the Fil-Am Bay Area Pop says, “We are a pop up market based in Hayward, CA and soon expanding to different cities! Giving small businesses a platform and be able to network. As well as bringing the community back together after the pandemic! Always community/collaboration, NEVER competition!”
Asked why they decided to come to Antioch she replied, “my sister-in-law lives there. We did two events, there last year. They were the Backyard Movement. The first one Mayor Lamar (Thorpe) was invited to and Joanne at the Mercantile.”
Asked where they were held, Bautista said, “It was in Tenacity Gym located on Wilbur Avenue. We did an event there in August, last year. The turnout was huge. Then we did another one and we collaborated with Mayor Thorpe and gave out pumpkins.”
Actually, it wasn’t a permitted event,” she stated. “Mayor Thorpe said he would help us find a better and larger location.”
“We kept in contact with Mayor Thorpe,” Bautista continued. “That’s how we met Brad.” (Helfenberger, the city’s Parks and Recreation Director).
“We’re all about diversity,” she said when asked what cultures will be represented. “We will have Thai food, we have Filipino vendors, we have a Mexican vendor, we have Hawai’ian, Samoan vendors.”
About the entertainment Bautista said, “the Chinese dragon will open up the stage for us and walking around with live drumming. Then we will have Tahitian Dancers.”
Asked if they will be from the Tahitian dance studio in Antioch she replied, “I believe they are from Concord. We called people in Antioch, but no one was answering their phones.”
“We will have Egyptian dancers, Filipino Culture dancers and we will also have Cambodian dancers,” Bautista continued.
“We try to highlight as many cultures as we can,” she added.
Helfenberger was asked why the event will include food trucks that will compete with restaurants in the city-designated, Rivertown Dining District, but he did not respond.
For more information visit BAY AREA BACKYARD MOVEMENT | Linktree.
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Multicultural Festival 8-20-22
