RICHMOND, Va. -- The rich diversity of the Richmond region will be celebrated in the city's downtown on Saturday with the inaugural VCU Health Cultural Festival.
Taking place on 12th Street between Broad and Marshall Streets, organizers are inviting anyone to come out for food trucks, music, performances, face painting, activities, and health screenings.
Dr. Marcelle Davis, Vice President of Inclusive Excellence at VCU Health, helped lead the planning for the event and said the final meeting this week moved her.
“I got really emotional, and I started crying because I realized a year ago, we didn't do anything like this. And I think about what it could mean, not just for us as a VCU and VCU Health community but for us as a larger Richmond community," Dr. Davis said. “I’m super excited!”
Earlier in the year after VCU Health's MLK Walk and Celebration, Dr. Davis said planning began to celebrate the unique cultures and perspectives that make up the greater Richmond community.
"We were looking for an opportunity to really celebrate the relationships that we've built, the incredible work that we're doing in the inclusive excellence space. And we thought what better way to do it in June, to celebrate Juneteenth, Pride Month, and Caribbean American Heritage Month," Davis said. "As we thought about what we could do to honor all of those tribute months, we said, you know, what, we're just gonna do a cultural festival."
Free parking is available at the Childcare's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, and the first 300 people to show up will get free food tickets. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Davis said it's critical for healthcare providers to recognize and deepen their understanding of their patient population to improve health outcomes.
"We serve an incredibly diverse patient population, that's not lost on us, and our goal is always to learn from each other," Davis said. “Cultural competence really is the vehicle that allows us as healthcare providers to be culturally responsive. In order for us to do that, we've got to get those diverse perspectives and views and lived experiences because that's what equips us to really serve our patients.”
You can learn more about the festival here.
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