Commission begins planning for Sept. 13 multicultural festival; city staff say partnership needed for logistics

Huber Heights’ Culture and Diversity Citizens Action Commission used its Feb. 6 meeting to kick off planning for a multicultural festival set for Sept. 13, emphasizing cultural education, vendor recruitment and coordination with city staff.

Commissioners said they want the festival to showcase cultural education through food, dress and artifacts and said they hope to centralize activities to create a more cohesive visitor experience. “I would love to see more education from the various cultures represented, be it by their food, by their dress, by their artifacts,” a commissioner leading the discussion said.

City support and staffing

City staff told commissioners the municipal organization is undergoing internal changes and may have limited staffing capacity for event logistics. Jeffrey, a city staffer who participated in the meeting, said the city can help with sound, lights and certain permits but that commissions should specify which supports they need early in the planning process. “You handle this part of the event, and we handle this part of the event,” he said, urging clear requests so the city can plan staffing and equipment allocation.

Why it matters: The festival aims to be a major, city‑wide event that highlights the city’s cultural diversity and could require coordination across multiple departments, vendors and community partners.

Program, outreach and partners

Commissioners encouraged broad community involvement and suggested drawing on local schools and cultural organizations for educational booths, performances and demonstrations. Byram, the commissioner who had planned to co‑lead the effort, was absent; commissioners asked members to support the lead when Byram returns.

Staff and commissioners mentioned existing partners who have previously supported community events, including the Chamber of Commerce and local libraries, and discussed contingencies—such as using a bookmobile or library table for children’s programming if larger mobile resources are unavailable.

What’s next

Planning team members will divide tasks and produce a draft timeline and budget over the next 60 days. Commissioners said they expect to finalize logistics and vendor outreach by spring so that April and May can focus on advertising and community partnerships.

Speakers relevant to this article: Jeffrey (city staff); Byram (commissioner, absent from the meeting); Christie (Commissioner, communications); Mason Sutton (Huber Heights Chamber contact); Sarah (city outreach).