ROCK SPRINGS – The Home of 56 Nationalities is celebrating its diverse cultures Saturday during the annual International Day celebration in Bunning Park.

The event starts at 8 a.m. with the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, where people arriving to the park in the morning can receive pancakes, a sausage patty and coffee for $5. A full day of performances starting at 10 a.m. with polka music performed by Dave Pedri and the EIO Band. Performances continue at the top of every hour, KUD Rastko, Hot House West, World Dance Company LLC, Tutulli Ballet Folklorico performing throughout the day with two shows throughout the event. The final performance of the day takes place at 8 p.m. by Those Crazy Nights, which is a tribute band to the 80s group Journey. Additionally, David Tarr-Sánchez will stroll around the park performing bagpipe music throughout the day.

The event will also have several booths and vendors, including food trucks and stalls serving treats representing cultures from around the world.

J.T. Larson, the event chair for the International Day Committee, said the event started in 1926 as International Night, which later evolved into a full day of events. He said the event has had some gaps over the years as the event has stopped and restarted multiple times, saying the current version of International Day has taken place annually since the late 1990s. He said plans are already underway for the 2026 event as it will be the 100th anniversary of International Day. He said the committee is looking to spend more money on performers than they usually do.

“That’s something people can look forward to,” he said.

The committee is made up of nine people including Larson, with members specifically working on different aspects of the event, such as children’s entertainment, volunteer coordination, event coordination and beverages.

Larson said meetings for the year’s event start in February.

“It’s a six-month process for a single day,” he said.

For Larson, who has been involved with the event for the past 14 years, the event represents a family-friendly affair that attracts people for different reasons. Some come for the food, others come for the performances, and there are residents who look forward to taking their children to the different children’s stations. 

“Our event is good for the community because we provide a unique experience at no cost on the entertainment side of things,” Larson said.

Te full schedule of performances:

• 8 a.m. – The Kiwanis Club of Rock Springs Pancake Breakfast
• 10 a.m. – Dave Pedri and the EIO Band – Polka
• 11 a.m. – KUD Rastko – Serbian
• Noon – Hot House West – American Jazz
• 1 p.m. – World Dance Company LLC – European/American
• 2 p.m. – Dave Pedri and the EIO Band – Polka
• 3 p.m. – Tutulli Ballet Folklorico – Mexican Dance
• 4 p.m. – KUD Rastko – Serbian
• 5 p.m. – Hot House West – American Jazz
• 6 p.m. – World Dance Company LLC – European/American
• 7 p.m. – Tutulli Ballet Folklorico – Mexican Dance
• 8 p.m. – Those Crazy Nights – A Tribute to Journey – 80’s Rock