Celebrate Welcoming Week with a smorgasbord of multicultural performances and an interactive public art project during the third annual WelcomeFest hosted by the Henry Whitfield State Museum on Sunday, Sept. 15, from noon to 4 p.m. This free, family-friendly event is open to everyone.

Jamilah Henna Creations will do a short presentation at noon about the history and traditions of henna, then attendees can receive professionally-applied henna designs throughout the afternoon.

At 1 p.m., WonderSpark Puppets will present Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup, a puppet show based on the beloved PJ Library book by Pamela Mayer. The story revolves around two grandmothers, one Jewish and one Chinese, who come up with elaborate ways to show their granddaughter that their cultural heritage (their chicken soup) is the best. The show will be followed by a simple puppet-making workshop for all ages.

Puerto Rican guitarist Lorena Garay and Chilean multi-instrumentalist Eugenio Huanca will perform an irresistible mix of instrumental and vocal music from Latin America at 2 p.m. Lorena’s guitar arrangements and passionate playing style beautifully combine her classical guitar technique with her fiery Spanish guitar strumming. Eugenio’s intense way of playing the panpipes, pan flute, charango, Venezuelan cuatro, and many other Latin American instruments is simply mesmerizing. Together, they play haunting melodies, syncopated rhythms, and charming strums from the Andes, South America, and the Spanish Caribbean.

At 3 p.m., Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan will perform Bharatanatyam, a beautiful and rigorous South Indian classical dance form with two thousand years of cultural and artistic continuity. Its rhythmic, physical, dramatic, and emotive aspects, used to communicate a wide variety of stories, both classical and contemporary, create a moving and uplifting art experience for viewers and performers of all ages, genders, nationalities, religions, castes, races, and cultures.

Throughout the afternoon, WelcomeFest attendees can participate in an interactive public art project in front of the Whitfield House called UNITY, a circular arrangement of 32 poles, each labeled with an identifier (for example: “I am a parent,” “I have Asian ancestors,” or “I identify as LGBTQ”). Participants take a piece of yarn and wrap it around any poles with which they identify. A canopy of interconnectedness forms as more people participate. In the end, this project celebrates the uniqueness of individuals while at the same time illustrating how we are all connected by something. UNITY will remain on display in front of the Whitfield House throughout Welcoming Week and the Guilford Fair.

A craft area will feature supplies for all ages to paint kindness rocks for keeping, sharing with someone who needs some inspiration, or leaving somewhere to brighten the finder’s day.

All of Guilford’s history museums will share the work they do to create welcoming communities for the benefit of all residents. In addition to free tours of the Whitfield House and the “History Beneath Our Feet” archaeology exhibit in the Visitor Center, volunteers and staff from the Hyland House Museum, Thomas Griswold House, Medad Stone Tavern Museum, and Dudley Farm Museum will be on-site.

“Welcoming Week celebrates communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including immigrants and refugees,” said Museum Curator Michelle Parrish. “The Whitfield House was built in 1639 as the home of Guilford’s first minister as well as a fort for the new settlement of about 350 Puritans fleeing religious persecution in England. While Puritans were religious refugees, they were usually not welcoming to those with differing views or those they thought of as inferior. Here at the museum, we’re committed to Welcoming Week’s goal of building a nation of neighbors. WelcomeFest is a free event open to everyone where we learn about cultures different from our own, celebrate our similarities and our differences, and foster mutual understanding and deeper belonging for everyone.”

Admission to WelcomeFest, the Whitfield House, and the exhibit galleries is free, and the event will be held rain or shine. Check the museum’s Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-date notices. For more information, call 203-453-2457, e-mail whitfieldmuseum@ct.gov, or visit https://portal.ct.gov/ECD-HenryWhitfieldStateMuseum. The Henry Whitfield State Museum is located at 248 Old Whitfield Street in Guilford, Connecticut. Support provided by CT Humanities.