Each year, the St. Ann Community Carnival brings a lively spirit to Coppell, and this year was no exception.

Filled with rides, sweet treats and cute furry animals, the 25th annual carnival brought a variety of entertainment to people of all ages.

Apart from the normal festivities, the carnival featured its second annual St. Ann International Festival. The festival took place on Saturday underneath the main tent with the intent of educating guests about all the different cultures around them.

“We have such a big community here in St. Ann,” festival coordinator Sandeep Naidu said.
“There’s 130 countries that are a part of the church, and we are trying to bring that community together. Not even just our Catholic community, but just bringing [people] of all different cultures closer.”

The area was punctuated with bright colors and unique artifacts from all around the world. Guests could walk in and talk to people from different countries, each with their own booth and visuals.

The festival featured seven different countries: Peru, Mexico, Ireland, United States, Canada and the Philippines.

“Being able to physically touch and look at things, see where they come from and how much diversity there is within one culture is very interesting to people,” said presenter Perla Aguillon, who manned the Mexico booth with her family. “In general, it is a very rewarding experience getting to share who we are.”

Plans are underway to make next year’s festival even bigger, featuring more countries in a larger space.

“Getting that deep history, learning about who people really are and the different aspects of cultures, cities and little artifacts is so cool,” Naidu said. “To see it presented in such a beautiful way is really incredible.”

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