Flamenco, Irish and Tongan dancers will be among the entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 24th at the Oak Ridge Children's Museum.
The family-friendly international festival showcases entertainment, crafts and food from a variety of countries, with stages featuring music and dance entertainment throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival will be held at the Children's Museum, 461 West Outer Drive, on Saturday, February 24th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entertainers include the Tennessee Irish Dancers. Pasion Flamenca performs flamenco dance. Katrien Sebrin performs a belly dance. Wolfgramm Farms Tonga and Taro Dance Group. and the Japanese shamisen at the Asia Cultural Center. The event will be moderated by WBIR's Raya Kutaine and Fernando Garcia-Franceschini, according to a museum news release.
Daytime activities include:
- There are crafts that children can make and take home, such as giraffe headbands, paper wonton crafts, and henna hand decorations.
- Collect stamps from a variety of countries at the Knoxville Philatelic Society's Craft & Science Room.
- An opportunity to learn how to communicate with other countries through Morse code and amateur radio, hosted by Discovery Lab's Oak Ridge Amateur Radio Club.
- Visit the Knoxville Regional Model Railroad layout in the World of Trains exhibit.
international food vendors
According to the release, food vendors will be able to purchase cuisine from many countries. Tariq's North African dishes include za'atar chicken, beef kofta and almond baklava. Empanadas bolivianas, empanadas de queso, empanadas de cornmeal, salteña, tres leches cake. Mucho Gusto 4 U with Cuban sandwich and flan. Mia Rifat serves Indonesian cuisine. The Knox Asian Festival will feature rice balls, Japanese curry and rice, and mochi. Homemade Toffees & Treats; Tennessee Irish Dancer serving Irish Whiskey Cake; Hungarian Czech, Kürzskárács. and Sons of Norway, with Lefse.
The booth will be hosted by Hola Hora Latina, an organization that builds bridges and promotes unity between the Hispanic/Latino community and the community at large through arts, culture, education, and leadership. The Children's Museum sells dolls and other items from around the world.
Discounts, tickets and other information
The International Festival is supported by the Tennessee Arts Commission. Online tickets can be purchased at a discounted price of $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6 for children ages 3-17, with a small additional fee, through this site: bit.ly/intfestcmor.
Admission to the International Festival is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors, and $10 for children ages 3-17. Children 2 and under are free. Children's Museum members gain free admission by presenting proof of membership at the door.
For more information, call the Children's Museum at (865) 482-1074 or visit the Children's Museum website at http://childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.