Author: Steve Peacock, Augsburg Director of Community Relations

I look forward to the Cedar Riverside Multicultural Dinner that is held annually at the Brian Coyle Center. It is an amazing gathering of people from all corners of the neighborhood who come together to share a meal, enjoy cultural performances, and build community. The Multicultural Dinner combines so many things that I love about the Cedar Riverside neighborhood – hospitality, kindness, generosity and diversity all combined together with a dose of controlled chaos!

This year’s event, held on September 18th , was no exception. Despite intermittent rain that disrupted plans to hold the dinner outside in Currie Park, over 400 people attended. They were greeted in the gym of the Brian Coyle Center by a long line of tables filled with food provided by local restaurants. Wonderful aromas and voices in many different languages filled the air. Volunteers, including Augsburg staff and students, stood ready to greet guests and dish out generous portions. People shuttled inside and out as the weather changed. As the rain came, volunteers hurriedly set up chairs in the gym and then dried off tables and chairs outside when the rain stopped. Folks mixed together as they ate and talked. They enjoyed performances including Oromo, Somali, and Native American dance troupes. My favorite performance of the evening was the choir of Korean elders (average age of 87!). The evening ended with a traditional Somali line dance, led by youth from the Coyle Center, with lots of others joining in. What an evening in Cedar Riverside!

Korean Elders Choir performing at the Multicultural Dinner

Volunteers serving the Multicultural Dinner (including Augsburg staff and students!)