Celebrating Cultures 2025: A Community Art & Cultural Exchange

Wednesday, May 21 | 4:00–7:00 p.m. | NYM Sculpture Park, New York Mills, MN

NEW YORK MILLS, MN, May 14, 2025—The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, in partnership with Niijii Radio (White Earth), is proud to present the 5th Annual Celebrating Cultures, a free, family-friendly event on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the NYM Sculpture Park and Barn (off Highway 10 and County Highway 67 in New York Mills).

Now a beloved local tradition, Celebrating Cultures brings together community members of all ages and backgrounds for an evening of music, art, food, storytelling, and hands-on cultural exchange. This event honors the vibrant diversity of our region by uplifting Indigenous and multicultural voices, traditions, and artistic expressions.

Event Highlights

• Live Cultural Performances
  Featuring Heather and Thistle Pipes and Drums (Scottish bagpipes), Hoop Dancing (narrated), and Taste of Colombia (traditional Colombian dance).
  
• Hands-On Art & Activities for All Ages
  Including the 2025 Art in Your Park Kick-Off, Scherenschnitte (folk paper cutting), and Brad Wegscheid’s Scribbletastic Fun-O-Matic Command Post.
  
• Indigenous Art & Storytelling by Niijii Radio
  Bone bead chokers, Ojibwe language coloring sheets, pony bead keychains, Corn Husk Dolls with storytelling, lacrosse demos/games, plus Indigenous food from Native Harvest.
  
• Cultural Booths & Demonstrations
  
  • East Otter Tail County History Museum: Genealogy tools & resources
  • Visiting artist Kateryna Bortsova from Ukraine: “Self-propulsion” interactive mapping activity
  • Artist Sharon Marquardt: Himmeli (Finnish straw art) demonstration
    
• Cultural Cuisine for Sale
  
  • Native Harvest: Traditional Indigenous foods
  • Something Good: Specialty coffee, tea, lemonades, and more
  • Continental Divide Brew Pub Food Cart: Creative takes on classic American hot dogs
  • Additional food trucks are invited and welcome!

Invitation to Artists & Culture Bearers:

The Cultural Center and Niijii Radio invite artists, culture bearers, and cultural groups of all backgrounds to share their heritage—whether by performing, hosting a booth, leading an activity, or offering food or demonstrations. Interested participants should contact the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339 to sign up. Vendor setup begins at 2:00 p.m. on May 21. Booth space is limited and requires pre-registration.

In case of inclement weather, we plan to move the event indoors at the Cultural Center (24 N Main Ave); please check kulcher.org or follow the Cultural Center on social media for updates.

Whether you’re sharing your own heritage or coming to learn and connect, all are welcome to join this joyful celebration of creativity, culture, and community.

This event is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Cultural Expressions grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

For the latest event updates, or to register for a booth or performance, visit:
 kulcher.org/celebrating-cultures-2025
or contact the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339 or [email protected].

About the Cultural Center

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is a rural hub for creativity, community vitality, and lifelong learning in the arts. The Center offers visitors intimate opportunities to encounter art and artists in its 80-seat concert listening room, visual art gallery in a historic building, gift shop featuring local artists, artist residency program, sculpture park, and a variety of opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Since its incorporation in 1990, the Cultural Center has been passionate about connecting people to artists and rich cultural experiences in rural Minnesota, celebrating the local and being a window to the world. For more information, call 218-385-3339, or visit www.kulcher.org.

About Niijii Radio

Since 2008, Niijii Radio KKWE 89.9FM has been broadcasting independent media to our community as one of four native Anishinaabe community radio stations in our region, unique in that we are the only one independent of tribal government and control. The White Earth Land Recovery Project (WELRP) is a federal non-profit organization that currently holds the license of NIIJII Broadcasting. WELRP, founded in 1989, is a multi-issue, non-profit, Native American organization based on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Callaway MN. Our station serves the White Earth reservation and surrounding communities. We also stream live from the internet for the benefit of all.