Celebrate culture

The third Jamestown Culture Festival, scheduled for Aug. 1-3, promises to be an entertainment- and activity-packed weekend in McElroy Park.

The festival, which showcases the state’s multi-cultural population, begins with the Irish Friday evening. Mick Moloney and The Green Fields of America, Irish-American instrumentalists, singers and dancers, will perform traditional and contemporary music of Ireland. As well as being a musician, originally from County Limerick, Ireland, Moloney is a folklorist. He was the 1999 recipient of the National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the highest award a traditional artist can receive in the United States.

“This is an internationally recognized performer,” said Taylor Barnes, Arts Center director. “We’re really lucky to get him here. He’s never been to North Dakota and he’s really looking forward to being here.”

The singing, dancing, storytelling show, which starts at 7:30 and ends at 10 p.m., includes jigs, reels and world champion step dancers. Festival coordinator Spirit said along with plenty of toe-tapping and hand-clapping music on Friday, festival goers will have the opportunity to try some Irish dancing on Saturday with Moloney’s troupe.

“They’ll be doing dance workshops for anyone wanting to learn traditional Irish dancing,” Spirit said.

Getting Moloney and Green Fields here was beyond the Arts Center’s pocketbook. However, with the help of a grant from North Dakota Council on the Arts and local sponsors, Spirit said they’ve managed to keep the admission price at $5, which includes the $1 admission charge to the festival Saturday.

“At any other festival, the cost would be much larger,” she said. “This is a big treat for $5.”

Traditional food vendors will start selling at 6:30 p.m. Friday so festival goers can enjoy dinner before the show. Bring lawn chairs as seating is limited.

Saturday, Aug. 2, the festival explodes with a wide variety of artists, storytellers and performers reflecting the multi-cultural background of North Dakota. There will also be plenty of opportunities for hands-on experiencing throughout the day.

As well as food, activities and music, the day offers traditional games from different cultures. An old American cultural event — the chautauqua — is part of the evening’s offerings. The cultures represented include Irish, Scottish, Polish, Native American, East Indian, Norwegian, Italian, English, Ukrainian, Filipino, Hispanic and Germans from Russia.

Debi Rogers, who plays the Celtic harp and performed in the first Culture Festival, will be emceeing the music tent this year as well as performing. Ten different groups or individuals will perform throughout the day and evening. From the Polish Alliance Dancers of Warsaw to the Filipino Dancers, the East Indian dancing of Margreat Sam and the Norwegian Troll Dancers, the music tent looks to be a lively place.

“There’s a lot more traditional dancing at this festival,” Spirit said. “And people will get to try the dancing. That should be fun.”

Many of the artists will be demonstrating and offering workshops in the artist tents set up throughout the park. Festival goers will be able to check out saddle making, woodcarving, basket weaving, Ukrainian egg making, blacksmithing, Chippewa beadwork and rice flour painting. That’s just a few of the many traditional arts being showcased at the festival.

“There will be some artists returning and many more who have never been here before,” Barnes said. “But what makes this festival so nice is you get to interact with the artists.”

Traditional games are also featured. From the well-known croquet and horseshoes to bocci ball, bunnock and double ball, festival goers will be able to participate or watch the games. There will even be string games for very young children.

“There’s something going on for everyone and all ages during the day,” Spirit said.

And of course, there will be traditional food as well as a farmers market available to serve festival goers throughout the day and evening.

Following the chautauqua on the Civil War Era from 7 to 8 p.m., the festival continues with musical performances. The day ends with Sam. She has taught East Indian dancing as an artist in residence in Jamestown schools and will be giving dancing workshops at the festival. She’ll be performing an East Indian fire dance, which Barnes assures people, is not included in a workshop.

“Margreat will be performing as the sun is setting,” Barnes said. “The fire dance — and yes, the fire is real — will be an interesting end to the day.”

Sun reporter Toni Pirkl can be reached at (701) 952-8453 or by e-mail at tonip@jamestownsun.com

Tags: culturefestival, event, jamestown, irish