The13th Annual Sheila R. Hardin San Diego Multicultural Festival is just around the corner. The annual event, which will take place Saturday, January 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., typically brings more than 20,000 San Diegans downtown to celebrate cultures from around the globe. Music and dance performances, storytelling and children’s activities as well as a wide range of food and retail vendors are all part of the free, family-friendly event.

            The festival is held along Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade (between Fourth Avenue and Market Street on Harbor Drive) across from the San Diego Convention Center.

            This year the event was renamed for Sheila R. Hardin, a long-time community relations manager for Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) and the driving force behind the popular festival. Hardin, a well-known ambassador for downtown, passed away in April 2010.

            “This event has a long history of drawing people downtown to experience and explore San Diego’s cultural diversity,” said Frank Alessi, executive vice president and chief financial officer at CCDC. “Our organization is extremely proud to coordinate these annual festivities as well as honor Sheila’s memory.”

            This year’s event will also incorporate a variety of cultural and learning institutions as part of the Downtown Education Fair, which allows attendees to find out more about learning opportunities throughout downtown. A free drawing for prizes including Amtrak Surfliner passes, restaurant and local business gift cards is part of the fun, too.

            For festival details and updates, go to www.ccdc.com and click on the Meetings and Events tab or check out the San Diego Multicultural Festival Facebook page.