It's always a little surprising to think of the number of ethnic groups that call Jersey City home. There are Dominican, Puerto Rican, Egyptian, Greek, Filipino, Korean, Italian, West Indian/Caribbean, African-American and Irish residents, just to name a few. Understanding the city's cultural hodgepodge prompted Mayor Bret Schundler to launch a summer-long ethnic celebration a few years ago. This year, the Slice of Heaven Ethnic Festivals 2000 will start with a Philippine-American parade on June 25, and will end with the Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival on Oct. 8. "Jersey City's Slice of Heaven Ethnic Festivals reflects the richness and diversity of our city," said Schundler in a release last week. "The series of festivals are an integral part of building a stronger community through discovery, interaction and festivities." The series has garnered national attention. In 1998 it was nominated and awarded the NBC-LEO Cultural Diversity Award. The festivities this year will include live entertainment, music, traditional foods, games, crafts and free giveaways. The Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade and Festival on June 25 will kick off the season. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Lincoln Park and will wind up in Exchange Place. "This is a very special and commemorative event for Filipino-Americans," said Schundler. "They take pride in their heritage as well as foster the relationship they have with the United States of America, their adoptive country." The schedule is as follows: July 16: African-American festival, CitiMarkets, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 22: West Indian/Caribbean parade and carnival, Exchange Place, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 6: Dominican parade and festival, Exchange Place, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 17 and 18 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Aug. 19 and 20, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Puerto Rican parade and festival, Johnston Avenue parking lot. Aug. 19: Indian parade and festival at Leonard Gordon Park, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 9: Egyptian festival at Journal Square PATH Plaza, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 10: Greek festival at Exchange Place, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 14 and 15, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sept. 16 and 17, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Fiestas Patronales Music Festival, Johnston Avenue parking lot. Sept. 16: The Children of Faith parade and Multicultural festival, Hamilton Park, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 23: The Korean festival, Pershing Field, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 30: The Irish festival, Exchange Place, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 8: The Columbus Day parade and the Italian festival, Exchange Place, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call the Division of Cultural Affairs at (201) 547-5406.