International tastes, sounds and sights will fill the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge during the International Festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.
The family-friendly event features musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day. Participants will dine on international cuisine, children will make international crafts to take home, and all will visit booths displaying crafts and traditions from world cultures. Food will be served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.
Picti, a duo performing Celtic rock, will be featured performers at the International Festival. Other performers will include the klezmer band Dor L’ Dor; Good Thymes Ceilidh Scottish Fiddle Band; Chinese folk musicians Song Yu; Carib Sounds; South American musicians Cantemos; Andrew Payzant on Scottish bagpipe; and Hmong folk music and dance. Appalachian music—including David Neidig and Tom Smith, Early Bird Special, Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club, and Allen McBride on hammer dulcimer—will be in the Appalachia Heritage exhibit area of the museum, along with crafts exhibitors.
Dance will be presented by Lucia’s Arte Y Pasion Flamenca Dance; East Tennessee Chinese School Dancers; Sandy Larson’s Sandsation Egyptian Dancers; Tenpenny Rapper Sword Dancers; Spice of India Dancers, classical and folk Indian dancers with Sathiya Paranthaman; and the Greek Dancers of St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Bob Grimac will lead festival goers in Chinese ribbon dancing to end the festival.
Returning this year will be the Kids Fest from 8-10 a.m., featuring international crafts, tasting food from other cultures, and dancing. The Kids Fest is for children in second through seventh grades, the cost is $15 per person, and pre-registration is required. Accompanying adults are admitted with regular International Festival admission.
The entertainment schedule is as follows:
- 10 a.m.—East Tennessee Chinese School Dancers
- 10:15 a.m.—Sandsation Egyptian Dancers, with Sandy Larson
- 10:30 a.m.—Lucia’s Arte y Pasion Flamenca Dance, with Lucia Andronescu
- 10:45 a.m.—Good Thymes Ceilidh Scottish Fiddle Band
- 11:15 a.m.—Scottish Bagpipes, with Andrew Payzant
- 11:30 a.m.—“Song Yu†Chinese Music and Dancing, with Brandon Beavers
- 11:50 a.m.—Tenpenny Rapper Sword Dancers
- Noon—Spice of India, Classical/Folk Indian Dance, with Sathiya Paranthaman
- 12:30 p.m.—Picti, Celtic Rock
- 1 p.m.—“Dor L’Dor†Klezmer Band
- 1:30 p.m.—Tenpenny Rapper Sword Dancers
- 1:45 p.m.—Cantemos, South American Music, with Kukuly Uriarte
- 2 p.m.—Picti, Celtic Rock
- 2:30 p.m.—Carib Sounds Jamaican Steel Drums, with Vere Henry
- 3 p.m.—St. George Greek Dancers, led by Maria Siopsis
- 3:30 p.m.—Hmong Folk Music from Laos, with Brittany Moua
- 3:45 p.m.—Chinese Ribbon Dancing, led by Bob Grimac
Admission to the International Festival is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors, $10 for children 3-18, and $1 off each category for museum members. For more information, call Carroll Welch at the Children’s Museum at (865) 482-1074, ext. 105, or see the Children’s Museum website at www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.
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