Aasmia Ali
Staff Writer
If your ideal Saturday includes good food, music, and learning something new, then the free of cost The MB United Multicultural Festival on Feb. 22 at the Joslyn Community Center from 2-4 pm might be worth circling on your calendar.
The festival will feature cultural music, ethnic food, guest speakers, and a student-led fashion show, showcasing traditional attire.
MB United is a local grassroots coalition focused on advocacy, community, and diversity, formed out of local activism tied to the Bruce’s Beach movement, the group regularly tracks City Council and School Board decisions, sends out calls to action, and encourages residents to speak up on issues of equity and representation.
“MB United is excited to work with Mira Costa student groups to celebrate the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of our community,” spokesperson for MB United Michael Jenkins said.
Planning for the festival began during executive board meetings, where members discussed how to create a more inclusive programming for 2026. “So I proposed this event,” MBUnited executive board member Janet Broady Allen stated.
Mira Costa student volunteers from several clubs such as Latino Scholars Union and St Micheal’s club are encouraged to be involved behind the scenes and on the floor to help serve food and help run the event with their own booths.
“Student voice is very important, and student participation will drive the entire event,” said Allen.
A fashion show will feature traditional clothing and garments, with students helping model and present each culture. There will also be opportunities to support donation efforts.
“Students are talking to family members to see what they could wear and bring that day.” Allen said. “We’ll have costumes– authentic ethnic garb from different cultures.”
The festival’s impact isn’t in what it showcases, but in what it invites. MB United is using culture to draw people into public life, with students helping shape a place where they’re usually not the ones setting the tone. By hosting it at the Joslyn Community Center, MBUnited seems to aim to create a space where students and residents can come together casually.
‘Diversity enriches and strengthens our community and our nation because it reflects that people of all kinds and from all places can unify in the pursuit of the commonly held values that define the American experience,” stated Jenkins.
On the website, MBUnited mentions how the old proverb says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second best time is now. The festival seems to be asking something quite similar: if community change doesn’t start here and right now, where does it start at all?
“You won’t regret it, it’s going to be really nice,” ended Allen.
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