An August ceremony at the House of Panama celebrated the accomplishments of Panamanian park ranger Leo Vargas. Photo credit: @houseofpanama via Instagram
After more than seven years of planning, the House of Panama, a member of the House of Pacific Relations, officially opened its doors Sunday.
Supporters marked the opening of the museum at the cottage in Balboa Park with a ribbon cutting and cultural festival.
Community leaders, elected officials and international dignitaries, including Gilda Garcia, the Consul General of Panama in Los Angeles, were expected to be part of the ceremony, to provide locals with a window into the traditions and customs of the Panamanians both in San Diego and abroad.
Dorotea Lindsay, president of the House of Panama called Sunday “a wonderful day for San Diegans and the Panamanian community.”
In 2015, the city of San Diego marked the centennial of the California-Panama Exposition that was hosted in Balboa Park in 1915 to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal.
The House of Pacific Relations, founded in 1935, is a nonprofit community organization dedicated to furthering cooperation and understanding between national groups in the U.S.
It consists of 33 cultural groups, many of which have their own small cottage in Balboa Park that is furnished and staffed by members and offers visitors a glimpse of each country’s culture, history and traditions.