UTICA — The Center (formerly the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees) invites the community to celebrate World Refugee Day from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Hanna Park, 1 Kennedy Plaza, Utica.

An international holiday organized by the United Nations, World Refugee Day provides an opportunity to recognize and honor the courage and resilience of the refugee community.

The celebration will begin with a Citizenship Ceremony at noon, where 30 refugees and immigrants will be sworn in as new citizens. This ceremony will be followed by a wide range of activities for the whole family, including culturally diverse music and dance performances, as well as a puppet show and children’s crafts. The Utica Children’s Mobile Museum will be present, as well as educational displays by the Utica fire and police departments.

There will also be food for purchase from a variety of local ethnic food trucks, and traditional handicrafts for sale from local artisans. Entertainment and educational displays will provide insight into refugee resettlement, the refugee experience, and the contributions refugees have made to the Utica community.

This event is free.