Culture & Heritage Night 2026
Come together to celebrate the cultures and traditions that make our Aldrin community special.
Aldrin PTA presents
A night to share and celebrate
Share your culture and traditions, lend a hand, or simply come enjoy the celebration. Everyone is welcome to explore the stories and talents of our Aldrin community.
Just coming to enjoy the evening? No signup needed!
When & where
6:00–8:00 PM
Aldrin Elementary Cafeteria
Countdown to Culture & Heritage Night
Culture & Heritage Night starts October 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM Eastern.
An evening for everyone
Share, explore, celebrate
Enjoy performances, food and drinks from around the world, cultural exhibits, crafts, and prizes.
Share your culture
Share food, music, dance, crafts, clothing, traditions, or an exhibit representing a culture meaningful to your family.
Enjoy the performances
Enjoy music, dance, and performances shared by Aldrin families and friends.
Explore together
Visit exhibits, try crafts, and celebrate our community together.
Around the world, right here at Aldrin
Cultures joining the celebration
Aldrin families are bringing food, music, crafts, and traditions from all of these places. Tap a flag to open its passport page!
- Cultures
- 18
- Continents
- 5
United States
North America- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Language
- English, plus hundreds more spoken at home
- Say hello
- Hello!
- Try this food
- Apple pie, BBQ, and mac and cheese
- From Aldrin
- You're already here! Aldrin is in Reston, Virginia, about 20 miles from Washington, D.C.
Did you know?
Yellowstone was the world's very first national park. It opened in 1872!
Mexico
North America- Capital
- Mexico City
- Language
- Spanish, plus 68 Indigenous languages like Nahuatl
- Say hello
- ¡Hola! (OH-lah)
- Try this food
- Tacos, tamales, and elote (street corn)
- From Aldrin
- About 1,850 miles to Mexico City
Did you know?
Día de los Muertos (Nov 1–2) is just days after our event! Families build colorful altars called ofrendas to remember loved ones.
El Salvador
North America- Capital
- San Salvador
- Language
- Spanish
- Say hello
- ¡Hola! (OH-lah)
- Try this food
- Pupusas (thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese or beans)
- From Aldrin
- About 1,900 miles to San Salvador
Did you know?
It's the smallest country in Central America, and its nickname is the “Land of Volcanoes.”
Jamaica
North America (Caribbean)- Capital
- Kingston
- Language
- English and Jamaican Patois
- Say hello
- Wah gwaan! (wah-GWAHN, means “what's going on?”)
- Try this food
- Jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish, and beef patties
- From Aldrin
- About 1,450 miles to Kingston
Did you know?
Usain Bolt, the fastest runner ever recorded, is from Jamaica!
Puerto Rico
Caribbean · U.S. territory- Capital
- San Juan
- Language
- Spanish and English
- Say hello
- ¡Hola! (OH-lah)
- Try this food
- Mofongo (mashed plantains) and arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas)
- From Aldrin
- About 1,550 miles to San Juan
Did you know?
The tiny coquí tree frog is Puerto Rico's favorite symbol. It's named after the “ko-KEE” song it sings at night!
Chile
South America- Capital
- Santiago
- Language
- Spanish
- Say hello
- ¡Hola! (OH-lah)
- Try this food
- Empanadas and pastel de choclo (corn pie)
- From Aldrin
- About 5,000 miles to Santiago
Did you know?
Chile is super long and skinny: about 2,600 miles from top to bottom, but only about 110 miles wide on average!
Ireland
Europe- Capital
- Dublin
- Language
- English and Irish (Gaeilge)
- Say hello
- Dia dhuit (DEE-ah gwit)
- Try this food
- Soda bread and Irish stew
- From Aldrin
- About 3,400 miles to Dublin
Did you know?
Halloween started in Ireland! It grew from Samhain (SOW-in), an ancient festival at the end of the harvest.
France
Europe- Capital
- Paris
- Language
- French
- Say hello
- Bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR)
- Try this food
- Croissants and crêpes
- From Aldrin
- About 3,850 miles to Paris
Did you know?
The Eiffel Tower grows about 6 inches taller in summer, because metal expands when it's hot!
Italy
Europe- Capital
- Rome
- Language
- Italian
- Say hello
- Ciao (CHOW)
- Try this food
- Pizza, pasta, and gelato
- From Aldrin
- About 4,500 miles to Rome
Did you know?
Italy is shaped like a boot, and it has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country.
Poland
Europe- Capital
- Warsaw
- Language
- Polish
- Say hello
- Cześć (CHESHCH)
- Try this food
- Pierogi (dumplings) and pączki (filled donuts)
- From Aldrin
- About 4,450 miles to Warsaw
Did you know?
Marie Curie, the first person ever to win two Nobel Prizes, was born in Warsaw, Poland.
Romania
Europe- Capital
- Bucharest
- Language
- Romanian
- Say hello
- Bună (BOO-nuh)
- Try this food
- Sarmale (cabbage rolls) and papanași (cheese donuts)
- From Aldrin
- About 4,950 miles to Bucharest
Did you know?
Romania's Carpathian Mountains are home to more brown bears than almost anywhere else in Europe.
Ukraine
Europe- Capital
- Kyiv
- Language
- Ukrainian
- Say hello
- Pryvit (Привіт) (PRIH-veet)
- Try this food
- Borscht (beet soup) and varenyky (dumplings)
- From Aldrin
- About 4,850 miles to Kyiv
Did you know?
The sunflower is Ukraine's national flower. Its blue and yellow flag is often described as a blue sky over golden wheat fields.
Türkiye
Europe- Capital
- Ankara
- Language
- Turkish
- Say hello
- Merhaba (MEHR-hah-bah)
- Try this food
- Simit (sesame bread rings), kebabs, and baklava
- From Aldrin
- About 5,450 miles to Ankara
Did you know?
The city of Istanbul sits on two continents at once: Europe and Asia!
Iran
Asia- Capital
- Tehran
- Language
- Persian (Farsi)
- Say hello
- Salam (sah-LAHM)
- Try this food
- Tahdig (crispy rice) and kebabs
- From Aldrin
- About 6,350 miles to Tehran
Did you know?
Nowruz, the Persian New Year, starts on the very first day of spring.
Pakistan
Asia- Capital
- Islamabad
- Language
- Urdu and English
- Say hello
- Assalam-o-Alaikum (ah-sah-LAHM oh ah-LAY-kum)
- Try this food
- Biryani and samosas
- From Aldrin
- About 7,050 miles to Islamabad
Did you know?
K2, the second-tallest mountain on Earth, is in Pakistan.
Nepal
Asia- Capital
- Kathmandu
- Language
- Nepali, plus more than 120 other languages
- Say hello
- Namaste (NUH-muh-stay)
- Try this food
- Momos (dumplings) and dal bhat (lentils and rice)
- From Aldrin
- About 7,700 miles to Kathmandu
Did you know?
Nepal's flag is the only national flag that isn't a rectangle, and Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, sits on its border.
Japan
Asia- Capital
- Tokyo
- Language
- Japanese
- Say hello
- Konnichiwa (kohn-NEE-chee-wah)
- Try this food
- Sushi, ramen, and mochi
- From Aldrin
- About 6,750 miles to Tokyo
Did you know?
Japan is made up of more than 14,000 islands!
Ghana
Africa- Capital
- Accra
- Language
- English, plus Twi, Ewe, Ga, and many more
- Say hello
- Akwaaba! (ah-KWAH-bah, means “welcome” in Twi)
- Try this food
- Jollof rice and kelewele (spicy fried plantains)
- From Aldrin
- About 5,300 miles to Accra
Did you know?
Ghana is one of the world's biggest growers of cocoa, the beans used to make chocolate!
All 18 places
North America & Caribbean
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Surprise prizes are hiding at Culture & Heritage Night! Come on October 29 to find out what they are. 🤫
Don't see your culture yet? There's room on the map for you.
Interested in representing a country that's already signed up? We'd love to have you join! Let us know, and we'll help coordinate so you can share a table with other families.
Be part of Culture & Heritage Night
Showcase food, art, music, or traditions, or volunteer to help bring the celebration to life. Questions? Please feel free to reach out to Aleksandra Villena-Lanzi (poznanska.aleksandra@gmail.com) and Gun Karagoz (gun.karagoz@aldrinpta.org)
Just coming to enjoy the evening? No signup needed!