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International Festival to highlight hands-on fun
The International Festival of Cultures begins on Aug. 20, 2016, at Paseo de Marianas, Garapan, and will feature hands-on demonstrations, live performances, arts and crafts sales, ethnic cuisine, and more. (Contributed Photo)
The Marianas Visitors Authority is adding a personal touch to the 2nd Annual International Festival of Cultures, which kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Paseo de Marianas in Garapan.
The festival will also be held Aug. 27 and Sept. 3, 10, 17, and 24 from 5pm to 10pm and will celebrate the cultural diversity of the Northern Mariana Islands. This year, the MVA and participating culture are putting equal emphasis on stage entertainment and hands-on experiences at the booths.
“This year we wanted to offer festival goers more opportunities to not only watch cultural performances, but also learn and experience the cultures, themselves,” said MVA Community Projects manager Martin Duenas. “So this year we will split time between having performances on stage and having more personalized demonstrations at each booth. We think people are going to enjoy the learning opportunity.”
The first two weeks of the festival will also highlight performances of indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian culture. This Saturday’s stage entertainment includes the opening ceremony at 6pm, Chamorro community at 6:30pm and 8:30pm, Carolinian community at 9:30pm, and Filipino community at 7:30pm. In addition, the festival will feature on-site preparation of a favorite island delicacy, roast pig.
“We’re very grateful to our island cultural communities and our supporters for coming together to make this year’s festival possible,” said MVA Community Projects specialist Ryan Calvo, the event’s lead coordinator. “We’re going to have a great time! And even if there’s a little rain, we invite everyone to grab their zories and umbrellas and still come out and enjoy the fun!”
The festival is sponsored by PDM Promoters, Team PDI, Division of Parks & Recreations, Department of Public Safety, Department of Public Works, Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture, KWAW, Best Sunshine, International, Ltd., and Power 99. The festival will also include arts and crafts and ethnic cuisine. Admission is free. (PR)
