February 2006

Festál Returns to Seattle Center

Festál, the international smorgasbord of festivals, roars into the Seattle Center this month as the traditional lion dance and firecrackers open the Têt Festival, the celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year Feb. 4-5. Young performers are an integral part of the festival, as they are in most of the 20 celebrations in the series.

“It takes only one generation to lose a culture,” says Alma Plancich, an organizer of CroatiaFest and member of the four-generation Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble. She is a member of the Ethnic Heritage Council and one of the early contributors to Festál. “If we bring the kids in and let them reenact their culture and share it with the community, they can hold on to it,” she adds.

Over the years, Seattle Center staff members have worked with community groups to help them bring their smaller, scattered celebrations to the Center House, where everyone can enjoy them. Here’s the schedule for the rest of the year:

· Festival Sundiata (African-American) Feb. 18-20
· Irish Week Festival March 17-19
· Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival April 21-23
· Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration May 1
· Northwest Folklife Festival May 26-29
· Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival June 10-11
· Naturalization Ceremony July 4
· Bastille Day (French) July 16
· Cambodian Cultural Heritage Celebration Aug. 12
· BrasilFest Aug. 20
· Tibet Fest Aug. 26-27
· Korean Cultural Celebration Sept. 9
· Seattle Fiestas Patrias (Mexican) Sept. 16-17
· Italian Festival Sept. 23-24
· CroatiaFest Oct. 8
· TurkFest Oct. 21-22
· Dia de Muertos (“Day of the Dead,” Mexico) Oct. 28
· Hmong New Year Celebration Nov. 4

All events are family-friendly and include a wide range of performances, interactive children’s activities, visual arts, historical exhibitions, food, films and workshops. Stage performances and most associated events are free. For updates and more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/events/festivals or check our monthly calendar online.

– Wenda Reed

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