Cultures collide in OR Saturday at Children's Museum's International Festival

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge becomes an international hub 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, as it presents its International Festival 2010.

The festival presents an opportunity for families to learn about the cultures and traditions of countries from Australia to Germany to Peru. The learning comes through music, dance, crafts and food.

Nearly two dozen countries will be represented at booths set up through the 461 W. Outer Drive museum in Oak Ridge. Many offer craft activities for children and food for everyone. Children can take home the creations they make; craft activities include kimono dolls, Spanish flowers, Mexican yarn art and India-inspired bookmarks.

The food, served 11 a.m.-2 p.m., includes cuisines from such countries as China, Bolivia, Russia, Jordan, Japan, France, Egypt and Venezuela. Other countries whose cultures will be represented with booths include Argentina, Greece, Sri Lanka, West Africa and the Ukraine.

Music includes a performance by singer Seona McDowell, the winner of Australia’s OZ Music Award as best female folk singer. Other musicians performing include:

n East Tennessee klezmer band Dor L’Dor;

n The gypsy jazz band Johnson Swingtet. Group members Kukuly Uriarte and Brandon Beavers will perform Peruvian classical and folk music and also folk music from Afghanistan and Argentina. Band member Eugene Johnson will join the pair to perform Chinese folk songs;

n The Knoxville-based Y’uns, whose “jug band” style includes folk, swing and country influences.

Dance will include folk dances from a variety of countries. There’ll be flamenco dancing by the Knoxville student dance group Lucia’s Arte Y Pasion Flamenca. The Tenpenny Rapper Sword Dancers will perform English folk dancing. Other groups will dance in traditions of countries from Ireland to China.

Festival admission is $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens ages 62 and older, $8 for children ages 3-18. Children under 3 are admitted free.

© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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