State Museum to host Multicultural Day and Community Health Fair

Event will showcase South Carolina’s Diversity and Increase Health Awareness

COLUMBIA, SC – In conjunction with its new blockbuster exhibit, RACE: Are We So Different? the South Carolina State Museum will host a Multicultural Day and Community Health Fair, Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. South Carolina is home to many diverse ethnic groups and reflects a true melting pot of culture. The Multicultural Day and Community Health Fair will include a number of cultural organizations showcasing their traditional customs, dance and music. Community health groups from the midlands will be available for free screenings, as well as panel discussions addressing health disparities in South Carolina.

Guests will experience a world of culture under one roof during Multicultural Day. From the Halau Hula ke Alohalani Hawaiian dancers and Irish step dancers, Rince na h’Eireann, to West African drumming with Bolokada Conde from Greenville, SC. Aunt Pearlie Sue will excite visitors with her thrilling Gullah storytelling from Beaufort, SC and Lee Ann Kornegay, along withBolokada Conde, will give a hands-on workshop on drumming. Other performances will include, “The Swedish Lady,” Lisa Bachan, Palmetto Pipes and Drums as well as a full Mexican fashion parade by the Miss Columbia Latina project.

The museum will also host a community health fair throughout the day with the Office of Community Services and the Office of Diversity Inclusion at Palmetto Health and will offer free health screenings. Guests will also be able to get wellness information from other health organizations like the Palmetto Project, Good Samaritan Clinic, S.C. Autism Society, Eat Smart Move More SC, Nurse Family Partnership and more.  A panel discussion on health disparities in South Carolina and access to affordable health care will also be open to the public at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Gervais Street room.

Children will be able to join in on the fun with interactive learning activities throughout the day. From a cultural IQ test that will showcase how different cultures classify specific items differently, to “All In the Family,” an activity that will help participants see the differences within their own families. Guests will also be able to classify themselves by census categories of the past. From a 1790 US census form all the way to the 2000 census, participants will understand that classifying ethnicities in categories is tricky. The Multicultural Day and Community Health Fair event is free with general admission to the museum and is free for museum members.

General admission to the museum is $6.95 for children 12 and under, $7.95 for seniors and $8.95 for adults. Visit scmuseum.org to learn more.

About the South Carolina State Museum:  As the state’s largest and most comprehensive museum, the South Carolina State Museum offers a unique, entertaining and educational experience to visitors throughout its 225,000 square foot facility located in the heart of downtown Columbia’s Congaree Vista.  The State Museum is housed in one of its largest artifacts, an 1894 old textile mill full of character and charm.  Guests can explore outer space in one of the largest planetariums in the Southeast, watch an interactive 4D movie and look through a vintage telescope in a one-of-a-kind observatory. These opportunities are all in addition to the four floors of South Carolina art, cultural history, natural history and science/technology. Visit scmuseum.org to learn more.