Residents celebrate community's diversity at Mishawaka Heritage Festival

Over a thousand residents celebrated the city’s history at Mishawaka Heritage Festival in Central Park on Sunday.

The annual event featured 35 local vendors with various ethnic, religious and industrial roots.

“We grow up in this city and we don’t know a whole lot about it. We don’t take the time to really look into it and get to learn it, we just kind of take it for granted,” said Alan Grzeskowiak of the Mishawaka Historic Preservation Commission.

Grzeskowiak says events like the Heritage Festival allow residents to experience the diversity of the people who live and work there.

Local business owner Marlene Hollenkamp showcased her shop Imagine This. When choosing a store location eighteen years ago, she says Mishawaka was just what she was looking for.

“I chose Mishawaka because of the makeup of the community. It’s quite diversified,” said Hollenkamp.

For more information about the Mishawaka Heritage Festival, click here.