WorldFest attendance up 32% from last year’s Addison event

by PegNews wire

ADDISON — As international festivals go, WorldFest has been an ambitious project with its two partners, the Town of Addison and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, working together for many months to plan a showcase celebrating the diverse cultures that make North Texas such an exciting place to live.

The partners brought together more than 270 groups and organizations on October 24 and 25 to create a two-day event that took patrons on a whirlwind tour of 50 countries in just a weekend at Addison Circle Park. Along with offering local ethnic community organizations the opportunity to display their various cultures with stage performances, food booths, cultural displays, and an international marketplace, the event also featured large-scale stage performances including the Chinese Acrobats of Hebei and a 45-member world champion folk dance group flown in from Turkey just for WorldFest by local Turkish-American organization TURANT.

First held in 2008 as a one-day event, Addison expanded WorldFest to a two-day festival this year, and increased attendance by 32% according to organizers. WorldFest 2010 is planned for October 23-24.

“We were so pleased with the level and quality of participation from so many of the area’s international cultural groups,” said Barbara Kovacevich, Town of Addison special events administrator. “It was a wonderful event! Attendees could stroll through the grounds to the sounds of African drums, sample salads in a Bulgarian picnic grove, try authentic Turkish coffee, see cigars being rolled Cuban style, watch colorfully attired groups performing dances from India, Okinawa, Brazil, and elsewhere. And that’s just a sample of the many things people saw and experienced at WorldFest.”

“By expanding WorldFest in its second year to a two-day event,” she added, “we were able to accommodate many more North Texans interested in experiencing the international community that we live in.”

World Affairs Council president Jim Falk expressed the organization’s view of the event. “We were thrilled at the community’s response to WorldFest. Visitors tell us that the festival set a new standard in North Texas for cultural excitement, diversity and international energy. The talented performers, community organizations, marketplace vendors, restaurants, and everyone involved contributed to make this a truly extraordinary global experience.”

New this year was the Mariachi Competition presented in partnership with the Consul General of Mexico, which featured six groups vying for the championship. Named winner was Mariachi Jalisciense. which then had the opportunity to perform with Mexican songstress Veronica Robles on Sunday afternoon and will be featured in concert in December with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving.

WorldFest also celebrated UN day by featuring Iraqi pianist Abbas Abboud who was introduced by Ambassador Dubois, and by hosting a reception for the Counsul Generals serving in Texas. WorldFest also featured Brave Combo, The Killdares, The Australian Outback Show, and International Fashion Shows. Guests enjoyed nearly 30 global food booths, an international marketplace representing countries spanning six of the seven continents, global games, a “Green Around the World” display created by students from Greenhill School, children’s activities, a jade exhibit presented by the Crow Collection of Asian Art and an international short film showcase presented by the DALLAS Film Society.

Source: WorldFest