In the News

On Saturday, April 5, Highland Park Presbyterian Church transformed into a vibrant hub of international culture as over 1,000 attendees gathered for the 2025 HP CultureFest. This annual event, organized by nonprofit HP CultureFest, showcased the rich cultural heritages of families within the Highland Park Independent School District (HPISD).

You don’t need to hop a plane to sample homemade Vietnamese casava cake, dance to the beat of African drums, or have your fortune told with Japanese Omikuji slips.

Just stop by CultureFest, the joyful celebration of cultural heritages represented in the Park Cities, which was held this year on April 5 at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

The 3rd annual Culture Fest takes place this Saturday, April 5, bringing together the full committee to transform the venue into a collection of cultural destinations. The event offers attendees the opportunity to experience global traditions through food, customs, and interactive activities in a welcoming environment.

In this week’s episode of The Bubble Lounge, we’re taking you on a global journey—without ever leaving Highland Park! We're joined by Esther Choi, current chair of HP CultureFest, and Parul Harsora, past chair and one of the driving forces behind this inspiring event.

On Saturday, December 9th, the second annual HP CultureFest was held at Highland Park High School. It was a celebration of cultures from around the world with over 40 displays that showcased a different country or culture. There were international food trucks and samples, arts and crafts, games such as bocce ball, and origami, as well as musical and dance performances.

A group formed to keep in touch during the pandemic still encourages Park Cities parents and students to connect, collaborate, and celebrate.

Park Cities International Friends, working with Highland Park ISD, hosted its second HP CultureFest in December 2023.

Park Cities International Friends hosted the second-annual HP CultureFest on Dec. 9 in the Highland Park High School cafeteria.

The event brought more than 40 table displays showcasing diverse countries, food trucks, arts and crafts, and student performances.

Park Cities residents gathered on Nov. 5 at Highland Park High School to celebrate a melting pot of cultures from around the world.

“Events like these prepare our students to truly ‘go forth to serve’ as global citizens,” event co-chair Parul Harsora said.

...Attendees enjoyed samples of everything from crepes to a guacamole bar to samosas and baklava, crafts like Chinese calligraphy, origami, and Mexican "papel picado," games like loteria (similar to bingo) and piñata, plus various musical and dance performances. More than 100 high school students and HPISD family members volunteered or hosted these events and country tables."

...According to Guven, we live in a global world, and students should graduate high school with a good understanding of other countries and cultures.

“Culture is richness,” Guven said. “It really gives you a lot of perspective in life.”

Families from around the district attended the first-ever HP CultureFest Saturday, Nov. 5. Parents and students enjoyed cultural performances, visual displays, food, and arts and crafts from more than 30 countries around the world...