Lansing's July 4 parade features multicultural flair

LANSING – Like the city itself, Lansing's July 4 celebration had a multicultural flair.

As a crowd of several hundred gathered around the Capitol for the annual Independence Day parade, local businesses, organizations and dance groups made their way down Allegan Street and Capitol Avenue, showing off the diversity of the Lansing region.

"It's fun and it's my culture," said 11-year-old Arriel Pressas, part of Fantasia Ballet Folklorico of Lansing. With fellow dancers ranging in age from 3 to 30, she had a chance to share a bit of Mexican culture during Saturday's parade.

The Philippine American Club of Greater Lansing had an additional reason to celebrate. In the Philippines, July 4 is officially Filipino-American Friendship Day, said Angel Fandialan, president of the club.

Several members of the nonprofit group walked in Saturday's parade, some wearing traditional Filipino outfits.

"It's an opportunity to celebrate the American Constitution's granting of rights to all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity or origin," said Fandialan, a retired Michigan Department of Transportation employee who first came to the United States as a college student. "We cherish more than 45 years of relationship between the two countries."

Lansing resident Winona Potter showed off some North African and Middle Eastern style at the parade with the Habibi Dancers of Lansing, a belly dancing group that offers classes through the Foster Community Center.

"I think it's great to show a variety of dances that you don't traditionally see every day," Potter said. She and about a dozen other women and girls, including mothers and daughters, shimmied along the parade route in red, white and blue shawls, shaking hips and bangles.

Contact Kate DuHadway at (517) 610-6802 or kduhadway@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @k8rouse or on Instagram @movelansing.