It can’t get better than a festival during the holidays. There are plenty of things to celebrate this time of year, and doing so during a big event makes it all the more special. You must keep in mind a few things during the preparation process, though. Read on to learn how to make your holiday festival more inclusive.
Remember Every Holiday
There’s more than one holiday to celebrate. People celebrate holidays beyond Christmas and New Year. Bringing awareness to all the others is the perfect way to make everyone feel included. Have a section for those of different religions and customs.
You’ll have lots of material to work from, so make sure you do your research on all of them. You don’t want to run the risk of offending anyone. Ask people who celebrate that specific tradition, and see if they have any recommendations for you to follow. Include any special food, music, or tradition for each celebration.
Recruit the People
Make it a group effort. Recruit people in the community, and ask if they want to help with the planning. Go to different restaurants and stores to see who’s willing to be a vendor for the festival. Choose from a wide variety so that the booths don’t seem too similar.
Also, take a poll from members of the community to find out what events they want to see during the festival. Be selective but open. Not everything will work out, but pick the ones you think a majority of the crowd will enjoy.
Adjust the Accommodations
Of course, you’ll provide accommodations for everyone. You’ll need accommodations for people with disabilities, the elderly, children, parents, and pregnant people.
Make sure you have an adequate sound system for those with visual impairments and proper signage everywhere for deaf people. For the lavatory section, remember to offer different types of porta-potties, including ADA-accessible ones. Also, place them in an area that’s accessible.
Encourage Feedback
The festival will go on for a few days. Provide the patrons with a feedback card to see what they enjoyed the most and what improvements they think you need. Collect the cards at the end as people are walking out. You can do this by having someone stationed at the exits.
Try and incorporate some of them while the festival is happening. You won’t be able to get them all done, but there’s always next year. You’ll be better prepared, and with all the suggestions from guests, you’ll barely need to brainstorm for next time.
Holidays should bring people together. It only makes sense for your festival to be inclusive for everyone.
