Refugee families and Madison community members gathered in Olin Park on a sunny June afternoon for Open Doors for Refugees’ annual picnic. The celebration on June 26 was the first since 2019 — the event was paused for the past two summers due to the pandemic.
Dozens of attendees enjoyed a potluck in the Olin Park Pavilion with foods from around the world. Picnickers took part in a capoeira demonstration with Raizes do Brasil, watched juggling by Doug the Jug, and listened to live performances from singer Angela Puerta and klezmer band Yid Vicious. Local organizations including the Madison Childrens Museum and Madison Reading Project were on hand with lots of kid-friendly activities.
All three local news stations were there to cover the event! Check out the clips from NBC 15 / WMTV, Channel 27 / WKOW, and Channel 3000, which interviewed refugee Chris Bisimwa as well as Becky Schwartz of Jewish Social Services and Ken Baun of Open Doors.
All photos by ArrowStar Photography.
