Cultural Heritage Celebration Unites Elmwood Park Community

Krista Kerber

Jun 18 2026

This year’s Cultural Heritage Celebration was one of our most successful yet, bringing together over 430 community members! With EPHS hosting the district-wide event, families from all over Elmwood Park gathered to celebrate cultures from around the world.

First-floor hallways at Elmwood Park High School were decorated with student-designed posters that represent their cultural backgrounds. There was also a themed balloon arch and a table filled with raffle prizes for families. After exploring the hallways, families entered the auditorium for a few important announcements about the BPAC (Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee), ACCESS testing results, Dual Language Program updates, and Seal and Commendation of Biliteracy awards. Those announcements were followed by the night’s most exciting part—the student performances!

The auditorium was packed with families ready to support their students. With roots based in many different cultural backgrounds, the acts consisted of singing, dancing, playing instruments, and reciting poems. These acts included:

International Dance Mix — Peter Buchak, Mariia Doroshenko, Mark Buchak, and Dealina Chille
La Bamba — Ms. Anaya’s Kindergarten Dual Language Class
Polish Mother’s Day Poems — Isabella Kluza, Tadeusz Adamek, Skylar Rog, and Ethan Frackiel
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — Ms. Banuelos’ 1st Grade Dual Language Class
Ukrainian Song «Дідусь та Бабуся» (Grandpa and Grandma) — Alina Buchak
Moskau Dance — Ms. Guircocha’s 2nd Grade Dual Language Class
Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin — Brian Zosimov
Ukrainian Poems «Україночка» and «Весна» (Little Ukrainian and Spring) — Sofiia Sampara and Sofiia Ivasyshyn
Latin American Dance Mix — Ms. Arroyo’s 3rd Grade Dual Language Class
Round Dance by N. Baklanova — Kamila Kislova
La Gozadera — Ms. Herrera and Ms. Balleza’s 4th and 5th Grade Dual Language Classes

Ms. Anaya’s dual language kindergarten class dances to “La Bamba”

During the performances, the audience couldn’t help but join in on the fun. The feeling of unity permeated through the crowd, as there was plenty of clapping and singing to accompany the songs. Parents and families watched proudly, capturing moments of their students. The kids worked hard to practice for that night, and they were excited to show off their cultural roots.

“The Cultural Heritage Celebration is one of my favorite days of the year,” said Natalia Gomez, District Director for Multilingual and Instructional Supports. “There is always so much to celebrate and it makes my heart happy to see so much representation and pride from our school community.”

Once the performances finished up, families found their way to the cafeteria, where cuisines from all different cultures were served. This included staples like pollo verde tamales, egg rolls, Dominican stewed chicken, Puerto Rican rice, pizza, and pasta. Tables in the cafeteria were decorated with flags from all different countries, ranging from Brazil to France to Japan. Students and family members showed off their colorful outfits, representing their respective cultures.

District 401 teachers serve traditional foods from different cultures

A special thanks goes out to our District 401 staff members for organizing and working this event. This includes our teachers, paraprofessionals, our District Multilingual Specialist Dominique Byrnes, and our District Director for Multilingual and Instructional Supports, Natalia Gomez. A big thank you specifically goes to the following: