LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — Music, dance and cuisine from cultures around the world filled St. Mary’s Square Shopping Center on Saturday as Community, Culture & Cuisine returned for its third year, bringing residents together to celebrate the diversity, local businesses and community spirit that define Lexington Park.
Hosted by the Lexington Park Business Association in partnership with the St. Mary’s County Arts Council, the free festival transformed the shopping center into a gathering place featuring cultural performances, local organizations and international food vendors while highlighting the businesses and organizations that make Lexington Park a cornerstone community in St. Mary’s County.
The event also marked its return to St. Mary’s Square Shopping Center, relocating from Lexington Manor Passive Park to a more centralized location in the heart of Lexington Park. Surrounded by local businesses, restaurants and community organizations, Lexington Park Business Association organizers said the venue better connected residents with the people and places that make the community unique.
Throughout the afternoon, visitors moved between live performances, vendor booths and interactive exhibits while experiencing traditions from around the world. Entertainment included performances by the Piscataway Indian Nation Singers & Dancers, Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, Diablada USA, Naach Performing Arts, Jubilee Voices, the Filipino American Association of Southern Maryland and Ms. Story’s Living History.
Celebrating the Heart of Lexington Park
Wynne Briscoe, president of the Lexington Park Business Association, said returning Community, Culture & Cuisine to St. Mary’s Square Shopping Center returned the festival to its original location, placing it in the center of Lexington Park’s commercial corridor. She said the more visible setting reinforced the association’s mission of serving the entire Lexington Park community rather than just a single neighborhood.
“We decided to bring Community, Culture & Cuisine back to its original location, St. Mary’s Square Shopping Center,” Briscoe said. “It’s really good for us to be front facing with the community. The Passive Park didn’t really give us that because it’s kind of tucked away.”
Briscoe said the Lexington Park Business Association serves the county’s largest ZIP code, 20653, encompassing more than 400 businesses and nearly 30,000 residents. She said the organization’s goal is to help people better understand the size, diversity and importance of Lexington Park while supporting businesses throughout the community.
“This by far is the largest culturally diverse experience in St. Mary’s County,” Briscoe said. “We want people to know that this is why Lexington Park is so important, because it is the most culturally diverse ZIP code in the county.”
Briscoe said Community, Culture & Cuisine is designed to expose visitors to cultures, food and community resources they may not otherwise encounter. Beyond entertainment, she said the event encourages residents to learn about organizations serving the community.
“We hope that they learn about all the various cultures. We hope they learn about the community organizations, and we hope they taste a little bit of the world with the foods that are represented,” Briscoe said.
According to Briscoe, attendance at the festival demonstrates that residents and visitors are eager to spend time in Lexington Park despite lingering misconceptions about the community. She noted that the event has attracted more than 1,000 attendees each year since it began.
“Every year it has been over 1,000 attendees,” Briscoe said. “When people say, ‘People don’t want to come down to The Park,’ well, over 1,000 people did the last Saturday of June for the last two years.”
Supporting Lexington Park Year-Round
Briscoe said the festival represents only one part of the Lexington Park Business Association’s mission. The organization supports local businesses year-round by responding directly to needs identified through member surveys, including marketing, staffing and funding.
“We’re working with those business owners 365. It’s not just today,” Briscoe said. “It’s not about coming in and telling people what to do. You ask, ‘What is your need? How can we provide a solution?’”
The Lexington Park Business Association became an official 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization in January 2025. Briscoe said the organization relies entirely on volunteers and works collaboratively with county government, nonprofit organizations and local stakeholders to strengthen Lexington Park’s business community and promote long-term economic vitality.
Building Community Through Culture
Evelyn Hernandez, chair of the board of directors for the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation (CDC), said events like Community, Culture & Cuisine are important because they reflect the diverse cultures represented throughout Lexington Park. She said celebrating those cultures helps ensure all members of the community feel recognized while introducing visitors to the people who call the area home.
“That’s extremely important, because when you look at the people who live in this area and the people who travel to live in this area, or even visit, we represent a ton of cultures,” Hernandez said. “So, in order to amplify all voices here with the CDC, it’s important to recognize who’s here and celebrate them all.”
Hernandez said the festival gives residents an opportunity to experience cultures beyond their own while strengthening community connections. She noted Lexington Park’s proximity to Naval Air Station Patuxent River contributes to its cultural diversity, making the festival an opportunity for residents to learn about one another.
“A lot of people are more drawn into their own cultures, and they’re also interested in learning more about new cultures,” Hernandez said. “So, learning how much of a melting pot Lexington Park is, especially with the naval base so close by to us, being able to celebrate new cultures — we get to learn who our community members are.”
Hernandez said visitors not only experience cultural performances and food but also learn about organizations and services available throughout the community. She said the festival introduces attendees to resources they may not have known were available to them.
“With all the vendors, performances, and food that’s here, you get to realize what the community offers,” Hernandez said. “Whether it’s county assistance, Community Development Corporation, or even just who we are as people.”
Hernandez said growing attendance demonstrated that more people are returning to Lexington Park and supporting the community. She said the festival highlights the area while encouraging visitors to rediscover the community.
“It’s showing how people are coming back to Lexington Park and how they are open to supporting the community here,” Hernandez said. “I think a lot of people have been driven away from Lexington Park over the last few years, but bringing people back in, and to emphasize what culture, what community is here still today, brings people back to where it started.”
Hernandez said the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation works year-round to strengthen, revitalize and beautify Lexington Park through projects such as the Great Mills Road cleanup, the Lexington Manor Passive Park community garden and partnerships with local organizations. She said the nonprofit focuses on improving quality of life while encouraging community involvement.
Changing Perceptions of Lexington Park
Ryan Daniels, a candidate for St. Mary’s County Commissioner District 4, said Community, Culture & Cuisine reflected the diversity that makes Lexington Park unique. He said the community is the county’s most diverse area, making it a natural place to celebrate its people and cultures.
“Lexington Park in itself is probably the most diverse community in the county,” Daniels said. “So why not celebrate that.”
Daniels said the event encouraged economic activity while helping to challenge misconceptions about Lexington Park. He said successful community events demonstrate that the area is welcoming and vibrant, giving residents and visitors another reason to spend time in the community.
“You have events like this, this spurs economic growth, but also there’s a lot of misinformation out there about what Lexington Park actually is,” Daniels said. “If we do events like this and we don’t have any of the safety issues that some people say are around here — which we haven’t — that kind of helps people think that maybe it isn’t like they heard about.”
Daniels said the festival gives visitors an opportunity to discover businesses and cultures they may not have previously known existed in Lexington Park. He said the event helps residents build relationships while encouraging people to explore parts of the community they might otherwise overlook.
“There has to be a place where people come together and be open to seeing other cultures,” Daniels said. “Some of the businesses here, I didn’t even know they existed, but they’re right down the road.”
Daniels said growing attendance reflected a positive direction for Lexington Park and reinforced efforts to revitalize the community. He said events like Community, Culture & Cuisine help demonstrate that Lexington Park is an active, welcoming place with much to offer.
“It’s showing how people are coming back to Lexington Park,” Daniels said. “It helps instill the fact that this is a safe, open community with a lot to offer.”
Daniels said he hopes first-time visitors leave with a different impression of Lexington Park after experiencing the festival. He said the community offers far more than some people realize and deserves another look.
A Growing Community Tradition
Families sampled food from local vendors, explored cultural exhibits and participated in children’s activities throughout the day, while performers shared music, dance and storytelling representing traditions from Indigenous, African American, Filipino, Indian, Bolivian and other communities.
Organizers plan to continue holding Community, Culture & Cuisine on the last Saturday of June each year. Now in its third year, Community, Culture & Cuisine has grown into a community celebration centered not only on cultural expression but also on strengthening relationships among residents, businesses and organizations.
As visitors gathered in the heart of Lexington Park, the event reflected the community’s continued growth through shared experiences, local partnerships and an appreciation for the cultures that shape Southern Maryland.
