What's New & Improved at the 2009 International Festival?
Italian Street Painting: Using chalk as a medium, madonnari (street painters) will transform the concrete floors of the Indiana State Fairgrounds West Pavilion into a color-splashed gallery for the International Festival's 20,000+ visitors. Festival-goers and students will have a chance to try their hand at this ancient art-form all weekend. Our primary madonnari will be local artist and muralist Vandra Linder.
Umdabu Dance & Percussion Company: In African culture, there is always a reason for the dance. A celebration of the harvest, a baby naming ceremony or to prepare for a hunt, dance is essential in African culture. The Umdabu Dance Company will showcase four of their cultural dances at this year's International Festival all weekend. The Umdabu Dance Company is a Birmingham, Alabama based dance theater dedicated to the preservation and presentation of traditional and Contemporary South African history and culture.
Explore the Continent of Africa in a BIG way! : The Nationalities Council will partner with the Geography Educators' Network of Indiana to present the National Geographic Society's Giant Travelling Map of Africa. Measuring 26'x35' and weighing 102 lbs., this giant map of Africa is the world's largest map of the continent. Students across the globe use this map as a tool to explore the continent in a variety of unique ways! The giant map is designed as a geo-game board to introduce students to the power of map and the diverse geography of Africa
International Beer & Wine Tasting is brought to you by Kahn's Fine Wines & Spirits. Taste your way around the world as Kahn's pairs international beers and wines with the authentic cuisines from over 20 ethnic food vendors at the International Festival. Check out IndyInternationalFestival.org for a full list of beers and wines that will be served at this year's Festival.
Student Passport Program: Explore your ethnic roots and interact with people from various cultures as part of the Festival's education outreach program. The Eli Lilly Foundation provides students with a Student Passport which students present at the Culture Booths throughout the day. By displaying knowledge of the country's currency, language, customs and traditions, students collect stamps in their Student Passports.
Meet Nickelodeon Jr.'s DORA THE EXPLORER Saturday & Sunday!
REGISTER TO WIN A WTHR METEOROLOGIST VISIT TO YOUR SCHOOL!
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