Civic West Invites Community to Bring Heirloom Foods to West Fargo Heritage Celebration – InForum

WEST FARGO — West Fargo residents have roots all over the world. To learn more about the different cultures and heritages that call West Fargo home, Civic West and West Fargo Events are hosting a Cultural Heritage Celebration on Saturday, December 14th.

The celebration, titled “Neighbor to Neighbor,” will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rustad Recreation Center, 601 26th Ave. E. The free event is open to the public and residents are asked to bring a dish that represents their heritage, whether they have lived in West Fargo for most of their lives or are new to the city.

Civic West organizer Marlene Batterberry said the event will replace the Civic West fire station discussion in December. Civic West hosts monthly presentations at the West Fargo Fire Station, where residents can learn about local government processes.

“It will be a celebration of the different cultures of West Fargo,” Batterberry said. “It’s going to be a good (event), I think.”

In addition to the samples residents can bring, West Fargo restaurants and food vendors plan to be on hand with samples of local dishes. Lana Rakow, founding member of Civic West, said participants such as Rebecco’s Taco Bar, Wurst Bier Hall, Freddy’s Lefse and Deaner’s Diner plan to attend and are “looking forward to sharing samples with others to come.”

Civic West also plans to create maps for residents to indicate where they live in West Fargo and where in the world they are from.

“What a great opportunity for residents to connect and meet their neighbors,” Rakow said in an email to the Forum.

Civic West was established in 2023 as a nonprofit organization that aims to increase civic information and involvement in the City of West Fargo. Civic West gives West Fargo “access to resources through a central online hub and will provide residents with a new way to communicate with each other.”

For more information about Civic West, Neighbor to Neighbor or other upcoming Civic West events, visit www.civicwest.info or at facebook.com/CivicWestWestFargo.

Wendy Reuer covers all things West Fargo for The Forum.