One hundred people, a record for the event, are set to take the oath of citizenship Saturday in Haggard Park as the Plano International Festival opens in downtown Plano.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the park, 901 E. 15th St. Admission and parking are free, according to the organizers.
The outdoor naturalization ceremony kicks off the day, Plano Magazine reported. More than 900 people have become citizens at the festival since it began in 2005, and this year's group of 100 would be the largest yet. The volunteer-run event bills itself as the largest and longest-running multicultural festival in North Texas.
On the schedule
- Stage performances: area dance studios and cultural groups take turns on stage all afternoon, covering Aztec, African American, ballet and belly dance styles, among others.
- Food: food trucks are set to sell international dishes such as bulgogi, halal burgers and bubble tea, along with festival staples like barbecue and funnel cakes.
- Children's activities: kids can collect stamps in a Festival Passport as they visit cultural booths, and there are robotics, coding, chess and craft stations. The Plano Symphony Orchestra is hosting an instrument petting zoo.
- Wellness Fair: runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the Courtyard Theatre, 1509 Avenue H, with free screenings that include dental and vision exams, blood pressure checks and flu shots. Carter BloodCare plans to collect blood donations.
- FitZone: demonstrations of yoga, Pilates and martial arts near the Saigling House in the park.
Organizers also run a Zero Waste program with compostable utensils and composting stations, which has diverted as much as 90% of the event's waste away from landfills in past years, according to a news release cited by Plano Magazine.
