Sage Hill Celebrates Diversity

Food, music and dance from all over the world gathered in Newport Beach on Saturday in celebration of diversity.

The 10th Annual Multicultural Fair was held in the Wilkins Town Square at Sage Hill School in Newport Coast.

“We celebrate diversity at Sage Hill on a daily basis with our student body representing a wide range of cultural backgrounds,” said Gordon McNeill, Sage’s head of school. “The Multicultural Fair allows us to extend that celebration to our friends and neighbors beyond our campus.”

The fair booths featured food from around the globe including Japan, Germany, Pakistan, India, Italy and many more.

Shila Patel and Elizabeth Stillman-Patel, who both have children at Sage Hill, from the taste of India booth agreed that their counter was very busy this year. They sold out before the fair came to a close.

The fair is a great way for the school to celebrate various cultures, the women agreed.

“Look at the world today,“ Stillman-Patel said, “could we have a more relevant celebration?”

Sage senior Jake Faris said he and his classmates take a real interest in learning about other cultures.

Rachel Min, a fourth grader from Turtle Rock, said it’s important to learn about other cultures. Min, who said she has her own traditions at home, said it’s nice to learn about others.

“It’s so important to learn about diversity, and to learn about your roots,” said Shahla Rah, one of the Sage Hill mothers helping at the Pakistan food booth. “The more exposure (kids) get (to other cultures), the more they learn. Kids growing up in today’s world need to be more tolerant of other cultures.”

Rah’s son, Samir, along with family members Shaan Gareeb, a sophomore at Sage, and Faizan Motiwala, helped pass out food and drink at the Pakistan booth.

Music and dance performances from Sage Hill students and faculty and groups from around Orange County entertained the crowd.

The event also included an ethnic bazaar that sold jewelry, clothing art and other items from around the world donated by several Sage Hill families. Kids could enjoy face painting, henna tattoos, dress-up photos, and arts and crafts. There was also a silent auction for various baskets, gift cards, tickets and more.

The event was organized by the Sage Hill School Parent Association. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the school’s Financial Aid Endowment Fund.

This was the first year she and her family have had a booth at the fair, Rah said, and they were happy to be a part of it.

“(The fair) helps educate people about other cultures,” said Rah. “(They) get a taste of the food and a taste of the culture.”

See more photos from the event here.