We’ve been celebrating diversity and inclusion for 20 years!

It all began in the early 2000s when then Plano Mayor Pat Evans established the Multicultural Outreach Roundtable (MCOR) as an advisory board to the Plano city council. This outreach effort was designed to give the diverse residents of Plano a voice in city government. The all-volunteer group proposed various ideas to enhance life for everyone in the community, including putting table tennis tables in Plano’s recreation centers, establishing an interfaith National Day of Prayer event, and establishing the Plano International Festival, among many others.

One of the first initiatives was the festival. Multiple members of MCOR created a separate non-profit 501(c) (3), the Plano International Festival Corporation, to organize and implement the festival. This team of passionate grass-roots volunteers brought the first festival to life in October 2005 in downtown Plano’s Haggard Park. The festival has been there ever since and continuously expands its programs and features to meet the needs of the community and offer everyone in North Texas an opportunity to enjoy and learn from each other’s cultures.

DID YOU KNOW—It takes 3,800 hours of volunteer time to bring the festival to life each year!

Our mission:

Celebrate Plano’s cultural diversity
Raise awareness of the city’s many ethnic communities
Build bridges between cultural groups
Strengthen our community

Officers:
President Graciela Katzer
Vice President Linda Adler
Treasurer Julie Khan
Secretary Dragana Pavlesic

Board Members and Coordinators:
On-stage Performances and Mistress of Ceremony: Ann Bacchus
Naturalization Ceremony: Ann Badmus
Cultural booths: Dragana Pavlesic
Indian Community Liaisons: Surita Chimah and Madhavi Reddy
STEM program: Gisell Salgado
Food Trucks: Donna Hartman
Wellness Program: Donna Hartman
Fit Zone: Michele MacArthur
Children’s Global Village: Gisell Salgado
International Fashion Show: Ann Bacchus, Tania Rodriguez
Volunteers: Dragana Pavlesic, Andrea Sethi
Sustainability: Environmental /Zero Waste Initiatives – Andrea Sethi
PR and Publicity: Linda Adler
Website: Wolfgang Katzer

Youth Committee: Austin Katzer, Samantha Haggerty, Vaibhav Kalluri,
Jaqueline Mojazza, Catherine Mojazza, Alejandra Bernal, Lynnee
Boyland, Monika Repac, Daniel Gates, Douglas Gates, Noah Haggerty,
Sebastian Haggerty

Videographer and City of Plano liaison: Dr. Christopher A. Parr

Past Honorary Chairs:
2023 Former Plano Mayor Pat Evans
2022 Plano Mayor John Muns
2021 Plano Fire Chief Greg Rushin
2016 Angela Miner, City of Plano Council Member
2015 Adrian Rodriguez, Trustee Collin College
2014 Former Plano Mayor Pat Evans
2013 Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere
2012 Dr. Robbie Robinson

Advisory Board: Dr. Christopher A. Parr – Dollie Thomas – Amitha Kodagoda, Monica Tovar, Deborah Gates, Shayema Rahim