The BIRC held their 'A Taste of Culture' celebration this past weekend at the Alex Billabough Centre (BIRC/Facebook).

By Austin Mattes

A Taste of Culture

BIRC brings community together to celebrate culture

Jun 2, 2025 | 3:32 PM

The Alex Dillabough Centre came alive this past weekend with vibrant colours, delicious food and sounds from around the globe as the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre (BIRC) hosted its annual ‘A Taste of Culture’ celebration.

Now a beloved event in the community, A Taste of Culture brings together residents from diverse backgrounds to share their heritage through food, performances, and traditions. This year’s event featured cultures from the Middle East, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Ukraine, India, Philippines and more, each offering a unique view into their culture.

Andrew offering Indigenous designed blankets and clothing at A Taste of Culture. (File Photo/BattlefordsNOW Staff)

Executive Director of BIRC, Annette McGovern, emphasized the deeper meaning behind the festivities.

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“We put this event on yearly to bring awareness and bring all the different cultures together. We do a little bit of teaching while we’re doing it and have some fun. It just brings some commonality and understanding. People realize they’re not as different from others as they think. And it’s a great networking opportunity, especially for newcomers,” she said.

One of the many highlights of the weekend was the food, with trucks and tables offering homemade dishes, sweet treats, and savoury delights.

People lined up at food trucks outside the Alex Dillabough Centre at A Taste of Culture. (File Photo/BattlefordsNOW Staff).

Kayle food truck cooking skewers on the barbeque at ‘A Taste of Culture’ (File Photo/BattlefordsNOW)

Dessa Cabarrios from LesDes Kitchen proudly presented traditional Filipino baked goods like crinkle cookies and macapuno.

(File Photo/BattlefordsNOW Staff)

“We are here to share sweets and goodies and our passion for baking with the community. It’s important to share all the culture, especially our delicacies. We want to show people how good Filipino food is,” said Cabarrios.

Jana Sharawy, representing Egypt, offered visitors a taste of goodies from the Middle East.

(File Photo/BattlefordsNOW Staff)

“We do a lot of things with rose water, pistachios and cardamom. It’s important to see other cultures because when we’re exposed to different types of stuff, our own mindset becomes more open. It encourages others to share their culture, and honestly, feeling welcomed is really what makes the community,” Sharawy said.

Apart from the food, another highlight of the weekend was the variety of performances.

For Kiela Caudillo from Mexico, the event was the perfect way to share and represent her culture through singing.

“I came here 13 years ago, and when I did, I felt very welcomed by the different communities. Representing my culture is a way to remind myself who I am and share that with others. We live and learn from each other through music, food, traditions, and ways to see life. Through my music, I hope people can connect with my culture,”

As attendees shared meals and danced to the rhythms of around the world, one theme resonated clearly throughout the weekend, the celebration of different cultures is the path to uniting the community.

Filipino banga dancers at ‘A Taste of Culture’ (Jhovy Bannawel Daoayen /Facebook).

For Jerry Ondos, Community Connections Coordinator at BIRC, the event hit close to home.

“It’s good to come and meet new people, have a chat and try different tastes and see different cultures and come together as a community. I am living proof of BIRC because the centre helped me process my papers and get my permanent residency. It’s a big adjustment, but living in North Battleford has been fun and nice. It’s a small town, but very accessible and a very friendly environment,” said Ondos. =

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Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes