World Refugee Day 2025 – Beyond The Colors

I drank tea with an old friend once. He told me that colors are beautiful, but we can only see colors when there’s light. I thought I fully grasped what he was telling me then, but it hit me while we were at the World Refugee Day celebration.

Utah celebrated its 21st annual World Refugee Day at Big Cottonwood Regional Park on June 20, 2025. From the bright colors of inflated water slides and soccer fields to the flags of countries from around the world, it added rainbows to an already beautiful landscape of the park. It was vibrant.

However, when the strong winds were blowing tents and banners away, and the heat waves kept weighing down everyone, it didn’t feel so beautiful. The inflatables were swaying back and forth, and you can see people chaotically chasing down flying tents. It seems that colors, no matter how bright, fade in chaos.

I was fortunate to have volunteers from BioMerieux help us make seed bombs, a little ball of dirt, clay, and flower seeds that grow wildflowers to help our little pollinators. They brought energy and strength but more importantly, they brough human stories. Getting to know the volunteers and hearing the stories of little kids and parents who came to make seed bombs helped me grasp what the light was. I believe it is human and their stories.

If you were there, you saw how truly beautiful the celebration was. Beyond all the colors, you witness the light. You see it in the face painted smiles of children, the traditional dresses from all over the world, the laughter of volunteers and community members, the wonderful world market, and the many delicious worldly cuisine. The people chasing down the tent were smiling so big. The heat wave made popsicles so refreshing.

World Refugee Day celebration is about the strength, stories, and journeys of humans. To remember and celebrate them. Each year, World Refugee Day in Salt Lake City honors the more than 60,000 refugees who now call Utah home. World Refugee Day was beautiful because of all the humans that were there. This event offers the Salt Lake community a meaningful opportunity to celebrate the resilience and contributions of refugees. Youthlinc is proud to participate in World Refugee Day this year again and look forward to being part of it for many years to come.

If you didn’t get to attend World Refugee Day, you can still share in the spirit of belonging. Learn about refugees and their journeys. Learn about ways you can build bridges. Be a good human and friend. I’m sure you’ll see the light in humanity beyond all the colors too.