Presented by the Ethnic Heritage Council, the 19th Annual Cultural Crossroads Festival will occur at the start of the month of November 2009. This will be held at the Crossroads Bellevue, at ME 8th at 156th Ave. NE in Bellevue. The festival will feature the best ethnic entertainment, as well as a craft show and an international bazaar, as well. Getting in is absolutely free of charge.
There will be a multitude of cultures that will celebrate the world of entertainment; annually, about forty ethnic music and dance performances are scheduled. There are some performances this year which are courtesy of the Academy of Cuban Folklore and Dance, Enzian Schuhplattler for German traditions, Joyas Mestizas representing Mexican culture, the Bokreta Hungarian Dance Ensembleand to name a few. On Friday night, everyone will tango thanks to lessons given by Patty Leverett and Greg Thompsen. The House of Tarab performs traditional Arab music on Saturday nights.
This event has so far maintained its spot as the most popular event in the annual calendar or Crossroads fairs and festivals. Twenty booths abound in the area, representing Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and North America. In turn, each of these booths feature both imported and handcrafted treats from all over the world.
Bring you kids along, too! They won’t be bored at this event, as there’s a lot of exciting activities geared specially for them. The most interesting would be the Lego display; a showcase of models made from Lego bricks that represent the culture of many nations. And another exciting event for the kids would be the “Folk Art for Kids”, which is a coloring activity just right for the little ones!
Remember, the Cultural Crossroads will take place just as November begins. I will personally be at the craft shows, experiencing the cultures of many nations through their art. So that’s it; and I’ll see you there right after Halloween!
Crossroads mall is in the center of cultural crossroads on the Eastside, sounds like fun!