Plano International Festival Corporation

A nonprofit organization

We accomplish those goals by demonstrating the beauty and benefits of diversity. Attendees can engage with over 100 cultures through music and dances performances, ethnic food, cultural displays, an art exhibit, hands-on learning activities, a naturalization ceremony, and more. Festival Passports encourage kids to tour the country booths and learn fun facts, and the whole family can enjoy the cultural displays and talk to the exhibitors about their heritage.
We have added several outreach activities, including a Fitness and Wellness fair with free health screenings, mammograms, flu shots, fitness demos and more, all at no cost. This unique and successful component of the Festival is our gift to the community. While we build cultural bridges, we're also strengthening the health and well-being of our attendees.

For the last 13 years, our leadership reception brings the local business and education community together to explore the benefits of diversity in the workplace.

Plano International Festival is the largest, longest running multicultural event in North Texas. For the last 15 years, our dedicated team of grass-roots, passionate, community volunteers has worked tirelessly to bring the Festival to life. We promote diversity and inclusion, highlight Plano as a premier destination for Art and Cultural entertainment, and promote countless community, civic, and cultural organizations.

o Over 190,000 attendees, and more than 700 new citizens sworn in, since inception.
o 100 cultures to be represented in the parade of nations, fashion show, international food court, on-stage performances, cultural booths, children's workshops and Multi-Cultural Art Exhibit
o 6th annual Fitness and Wellness Fair
o STEM activities in the Children's Global Village, along with crafts, puppet shows, and Passports to the World that encourage kids to visit different country booths and learn about each culture. Passports to the World sponsored by The Plano Rotary Clubs.
o Naturalization ceremony through the Department of Homeland Security; 75+ new citizens expected to be sworn in 2019
o A Multi-Cultural Art Exhibit on display September 17 through October 28, 2019

Our Needs

The Festival has free admission and parking, and all services and screenings in the Wellness Fair are free. So our main sources of revenue are corporate, foundation, and individual sponsorship.
Our Fitness and Wellness Fair is a huge benefit to people with little or no health insurance, as we provide free flu shots and health screenings such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, BMI and more. We added a mobile mammogram unit for pre-screened women with no health insurance to receive free mammograms. Our dental and vision screenings are vitally important, as even people with health insurance may not have dental or vision coverage. The Wellness Fair is our gift to the community, providing crucial health services that our attendees may not otherwise be able to access.

We are reaching out to new potential donors that embrace diversity and love to help us to overcome any revenue shortfalls that are needed to enhance programs that currently are offered to the community.

Mission

The Plano International Festival (PIF) was conceived by the Plano City Council's Multicultural Outreach Roundtable (MCOR) to showcase and celebrate the cultural heritage of Plano's diverse residents, to facilitate communication between all cultural groups, and to enhance Plano's standing as an international city.

Our goals are to Educate, Enlighten and Enrich as many people as possible about the rich diversity of the city's cultures and thereby break down barriers of communication between groups, dispel myths about those groups, and help reduce prejudice and foster inclusion.