Several organizations in Albert Lea are coming together Saturday to sponsor an event that celebrates the city’s heritage.

During the second annual A Taste of Heritage festival at Northbridge Mall, there will be displays of heritage, live entertainment, food samples and games for kids.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize what different cultures we have in our community,” said Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Susie Petersen. “We hope this will create an awareness of the diversity.”

Countries represented in the Saturday event include Germany, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Korea, Mexico, Cuba, Burma, Native America, Ireland, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Hondura, Guatemala, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Sudan, along with several Scandinavian countries.

Petersen said the festival this year is expected to be larger than the event was in 2010.

Entertainment will include the Ellis Middle School Mariachi Ensemble, Jack Hockenberry and his band, St. Theodore Catholic Church’s Aztec dancers, Halverson Early Morning Singers, Grapevine Twist square dancers and Grammy-nominated performer Vivianna Pintado.

The event will be at the mall from 1 to 4 p.m.

Organizer Mary Laeger-Hagemeister, who is on the Albert Lea Human Rights Commission, said one of the empty stores at the mall will be filled with children’s activities, games, crafts and food samples. Children will get a passport book where they can go to each display table and get a stamp after visiting each.

“We’re hoping that people begin to meet each other, learn about each other,” Laeger-Hagemeister said. “Even though we have differences, we also have things in common.

“We’re really hoping to build community. Our community is going to continue to be diverse, and we want to celebrate that.”

Shuttle buses will be available at the four elementary schools in the Albert Lea School District for people needing transportation to the event.

A bus will leave Halverson Elementary School at 12:45 p.m. Saturday and will then go to Hawthorne Elementary School at 12:55 p.m. to pick up more passengers.

A bus from Sibley Elementary School will also leave at 12:45 p.m. and pick up passengers at 12:55 p.m. at Lakeview Elementary School.

The buses will drop off people at the Plaza Morena entrance of the mall and return at 4 p.m. to pick up passengers and take them back to the school.

Children must be accompanied by an adult to ride the bus.

All of the events are free.