Omaha Community Cultural Festival 2023

September 11th, 2023

The Nebraska Chinese Association, or NCA, was founded in 2008 following a devastating earthquake in the Chinese province of Sichuan. This tragedy claimed the lives of almost 90,000 people and left massive infrastructural damage.

Juli Verbely is one of the founders of NCA, to aid victims of that devastating earthquake. For 15 years, they have continued to assist other communities in difficult times, but the organization has been keeping the Chinese culture strong here in Omaha.

Their mission is to bring people together and provide support for one another. Furthermore, Verbely believes that through cultural events, the Omaha community can be united and stronger.

NCA created an event where people with different cultural backgrounds could share their traditions. In 2019 they established the One Community Cultural Festival.

The festival took a break during the pandemic, but made their comeback last year. Their Vision is to create a community where all individuals feel safe, accepted, and are free to express their cultures and traditions.

Their core values include harmony, compassion, and inclusion. The Nebraska Chinese Association is involved with studies in all Nebraska colleges to help them promote diversity.

This year, the festival will showcase traditions and customs from 15 different countries and more than 20 performances. The closing act is “Sounds of the City” in partnership with the Omaha Symphony and includes music with a traditional Chinese instrument.

The 2023 One Community Cultural Festival is this Saturday, September 16^th from 1-9 p.m. at the Gene Leahy Mall. For more information, you can visit:https://www.onecommunityculturalfestival.com/