The 18th Annual
Wyandotte County Ethnic Festival!
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Dual Venue: George Meyn Community Center
and Wyandotte County History Museum
631 North 126th Street, (Wyandotte County Park)
Bonner Springs, Kansas 66012
10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Sponsored by WyCo Historical Society and Museum
Master of Ceremonies Mr. Clarence Small
Food Vendors 2026
Count Mai Hibachi - Vietnamese
German Bratwurst, Hot Dogs Mema's & Apple Strudels - Cindy Pearson
Moma Chroma - Kenyan Cuisine - Andrea Smith & Wasim Kahn
Gambian Cuisine - Haddy Sallah
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Lemonade Llamas - Rebecca Baker-Givens
Coffee and bottled teas - KCKCC Enactus Program - Professor Allen Lenoir
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No alcohol allowed.
Tentative Entertainment Schedule 2026
What a year this will be with two other events going on near the festival: 1) Irish Road Bowling Party in WyCo Park and 2) the Agricultural Hall of Fame will be hosting their annual Barnyard Babies Festival from 10-3 p.m. where children get to see and pet farm animals. Another reason to come our way is to see the site of the proposed new KC Chiefs Stadium across the street from WyCo Park on the north side of State Avenue. Come one come all for this great day of family fun!
10:00 "Presentation of Colors" KCK Sheriff's Department
Sergeant Felicia Atkins presiding
10:10 Shawn and Gloria Derritt "Star Spangled Banner and
American the Beautiful" duet
10:25 The Derritts - gospel songs from their new CD
project
10:50 St Monica and Visitation Catholic Church Choirs in
Unity - Gospel Music - Melvin Kerr director
11:25 Brett Jackson (saxophonist) KCKCC Jazz Group
12:10 El Grupo Folklorico Atotonilico - Maria Chaurand
Director with Guadalupe Campos and Leslie
Rodriquez performing
12:40 Legends of Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Awards At the WyCo History Museum - Native Music Dancer
1:00 Esoke Cultural Arts Center Dancers - Yaminah Muhammad
1:25 Driscoll Irish Dancers - Brigid Driscoll
1:55 The Indivisible Choir - Bill Claus, Bob & Diana Suckiel
2:20 Danny Hinds Art in Motion (Barbados)
2:45 China Folk Dancers (Taiwan) - Hoi Kei Au
3:15 Indonesian Dancers - Marti Wilson
3:45 Thai Chi Fan Dance - Qi Pao Dance & Chinese
Celebration Drums -Dr. Grace Gong
4:15 SV Blautaler - German Dancers
4:45 Sabor a Peru - Cecilia Mosher
5:05 Kansas City Kansas Community Orchestra - Jeff Beck
Director with thanks to Arlo Kinsey
Culture Booths 2026
At the George Meyn Community Center
Entry Lobby:
Welcome Table - Teresa Bronston - espresso
Unified Government of WyCo - Phyllis Wallace
Visit Kansas City Kansas - Eliza Mitchell & Sheyvette Dinkens
KCK Sheriff's Department - Captain Michael Kroening
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Children's Room:
games and art projects - Dr. Hira Nair and Eva Bett
Imagine! Magic Productions Gene Hernandez
India - Kaushika Panchal henna artist​
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Silent Auction Hallway - Eva Bett
Main Auditorium
Martin Luther King Exhibit - Karen Hernandez
KKFI 90.1 FM - Kellie Dougherty
Equality Kansas - Tom Alonzo
Kansas City Kansas Public Library - Linda Wolford
Grinter House Museum & Quilters - Louise Crable
Old Quindaro Museum - Tony, Barbara & Nakia Hope
Grace Family Acupuncture - Dr.'s Grace, Jing & Yang Gong
Lithuanian Amber - Kate Porterfield
Ukraine - Irene Thompson
International Relations Commission - Dan Fitzpatrick
Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors - Dave Basse & Curtis Smith
Italy - Curtis V. & Judy Smith 3 books for sale and signing by Dr. Smith: 1) Kansas City Kansas: Cultural Rhythms in Ragtime and Jazz; 2) Three Railroads in WyCo. 1855-1874;
& 3) The Ironies of Renaissance Florence, Italy
Germany - Cindy Pearson
Mexico - Rose Marie Mendez
Panama - Yamilka Crabaugh
Hmong Culture - Amee Her
Mali - Yaminah Muhammad
Jamaica - Kester Plowright Jr. & Kathleen Johnson
Gambia - Alphonse Mendy
Republic of China (Taiwan) - Hoi Kei Au
WyCo Election Office - Jordan Tanner
Midwest Genealogy Research - Kayla Hopkins
CETUSA (Council for Educational Travel) Anita Sass
ESOL - USD453 Leavenworth - Joetta McCluskey
KCK Community College Admissions - Tonya McCoy ​​​​​​​​
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At the Wyandotte County History Museum
ACROSS THE STREET
shuttle golf carts available
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Come and meet Director Amanda Martin
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Historical Journal of Wyandotte County - Rebecca Meditz, Shannon Burroughs, Cathie Burroughs, and Kevin Steele editor
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Wyandotte County Historical Society - Dr. Dan Desko​
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Delaware Tribe - Former Chief Linda Graff, Jim Grinter and Mary Grinter, and Former Chief Bonnie Clark
Wyandot Tribe - Chief Judith Manthei
Ruthie Ingram drawings and paintings of Native Peoples and the Hopewell Native Peoples artifacts from the Harry Trowbridge Collection.
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Mission and Purpose
The Wyandotte County Ethnic Festival is a non-profit 501C3 that serves the public by hosting an annual celebration, or "human family reunion." Our mission is to educate our community about the diverse cultures that live, work, attend school or have ties to Wyandotte County (KCK). This event celebrates the strengths of diversity, and the natural cultural differences within our common humanity.
Our purpose is to strive for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of a "Beloved Community."
Everyone is invited to take this trip around the world without leaving KCK and enjoy wonderful ethnic foods, dance, music, clothing, educational culture booths, and visiting with committed community organizations.
Only in America!
Many Countries + Many Cultures = One Human Family
WyCo Ethnic Festival 501C3 Trustees
Clarence Small - President and Master of Ceremonies
Karen Hernandez - Vice-President, co-founder of the festival, marketing and local advising
Dr. Curtis V. Smith, coordinator and treasurer
Dr. Hira Nair - marketing and global advising
Lydia Knopp - marketing & local advising
Shai Perry - marketing & advising
Free fun, free parking, free admission and a free program honoring an old fashioned one-day diversity, equity and inclusivity extravaganza! Rock the ages and come join us in this special celebration of simply being human
regardless of your
ethnicity, skin color, or creed.
Welcome one and all!!
2026 Silver Sponsors
Wyandotte County Museum - Amanda Martin
Unified Government of WyCo - Human Relations Commission - Phyllis Wallace
Visit Kansas City Kansas - Rebekah Bryer
KKFI 90.1 FM
The Board of the WyCo Ethnic Festival
Partner Sponsors
Midwest Regional Credit Union - Teresa Spears
Board of Public Utilities - Nick Moreno
Advance America - Virginia Graves
The Voice Newspaper
Reyes Media Group
KCMO Ethnic Enrichment Commission - Andrea Smith
The Monday Club - Marsha L. Oyer - President
Legends of Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusivity Awards
2026 Clarence Small and Tom Crane
2025 Tony Hope and Linda Sutton
2024 Bonnie Clark and Irene Thompson
2023 Rose Marie Mendez and Brian Patrick
no festival was held in 2020, 2021, & 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Gordon Criswell and Dr. Hira Nair
2018 Dr. Ewa Unoke and Ed Chasteen
2017 Barbara Clark-Evans and Eyyup Esen
2016 Irene Caudillo and Alvin Sykes
2015 Janith English and Kamiesha Tyner
2014 Karen Hernandez and Melanie Scott
2013 Helen Folsom and Carol Levers
2012 Ed Grisnik and Chester Owens
2011 Pat Adams and Loren Taylor
We also recognize at the festival those who have
been integral to our event who have passed in the last year.
We miss you deeply.
Special Thanks!!
Eva Bett - Silent Auction and marketing coordination
​Barnyard Babies Festival! Same day as the ethnic festival at the Agricultural Hall of Fame - Cheryl Wilson
Irish Street Bowling in WyCo Park - Shelters D to L.
Studio 7 - Jeff Widener
Kansas City Kansas Community College for providing a rich environment for the festival from 2005-2023
Professor Melanie Scott (retired) Co-Founder of the Festival, Director of the KCKCC Intercultural Center 1998-2007
Karen Hernandez - former Trustee at KCKCC, and Co-Founder of the Festival
Gene Hernandez - community advocate, logistics, marketing and performer with Imagine! Magic Productions
Barbara Clark-Evans - Director of the KCKCC Intercultural Center 2008-2020​
Sound Engineer - Christian Negoth, Bethel 7th Day Adventist Church in KCK
Ethan Haines & the folks at WyCo Parks & Recreation
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Donations Appreciated
Contact Us
Curtis V. Smith, Ph.D. Treasurer WyCo Ethnic Festival 501C3
913.549.0107
Festival Activities
Workshops
Engaging and Interesting
Children’s Corner
New Experiences
Talks and Performances
No Registration Required