Maggie Lile, features editor

Festival. Friends. Free food. In this economy, what could be better? If you’re looking to check all those boxes, then the annual Cedar-Riverside Multicultural Dinner is the place for you.

As you may know, the Cedar-Riverside area is home to many people with a wide range of backgrounds, making it one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in all of the Midwest. Throughout history, our very own neighborhood has been giving a warm welcome to people from all across the world; immigrants often find Cedar-Riverside in their pursuit of a new life in the United States, and while some move on to different areas, many continue to call it home. In the early 1900s, the Cedar-Riverside area was home to a mix of Europeans, featuring a majority of the population from Scandinavian descent. This led to the installment of a special Lutheran congregation — Augsburg Seminary. 

After the wave of western Europeans, Cedar-Riverside’s arms stretched out even further to welcome people of many other cultures to the area as well. These people started their lives here and many put down roots through their businesses, exhibited by the multitude of small restaurants, mosques, businesses and shops that line the streets of Cedar-Riverside still to this day. While the bulk of the population consisted of Scandanavians at the start, the blend of diverse cultures intertwined is what makes this area so unique. 

Differences can be easy to spot between cultures. But what about the similarities? Food is something that is prominent in every culture, no matter what corner of the world it originates from. Food is something that unites everyone across the globe; religious traditions, holiday meals and quality time with friends and family are all elevated through food as a centerpoint. The Cedar-Riverside Multicultural Dinner recognizes the importance of food as a symbol for culture, community and celebration all served up on a (free!) silver platter to honor locals and invite others in.  

“It was just a great dinner,” a community member remarked in a video from Somali TV. “With all the cultures around the neighborhood being able to get together to share their food, to share their stories, to share their culture for other people in the neighborhood that didn’t have any idea of what a lot of these cultures were about.” 

On Sept. 19 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., come take a bite out of something bigger than just another meal. The dinner will be held at Currie Park near the Brian Coyle Neighborhood Center at 420 15th Avenue South. Learn something new, fill your plate and satisfy your cravings at the Cedar-Riverside Multicultural Dinner.