Before each Festival of Faiths session, speakers, moderators and musicians gather in the green room to collect themselves, mentally prepare and get mic’d up before stepping onto the stage at the Kentucky Center. And as the minutes tick by till showtime, something remarkable happens: Folks of vastly different backgrounds and beliefs connect — through friendly banter and deep conversation; through handshakes, hugs, laughter; through shared moments of quiet contemplation.

The Festival of Faiths strives to reflect the diversity of our one human family while fostering an environment where everyone belongs.

The green room is a beautiful microcosm of that mission. —Sarah Kelley