Oak Ridge Today

Experience world cultures at Children’s Museum International Festival

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The Tennessee Irish Dancers join Charlie Bear, the Museum mascot, at an earlier International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

Flamenco, Irish, and Greek dancers will be among entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

A special guest from Ireland, musician and singer Fionan Casey, will join the band, The Missing Goats, performing traditional Irish music at the festival, a press release said.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from many countries, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

International entertainers, food & crafts at Children’s Museum on Feb. 23

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Spice of India dancers will perform traditional Indian dances on Feb. 23, 2019, at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)

Spice of India dancers will perform traditional Indian dances on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The Oak Ridge International Folk Dancers will join entertainers representing cultures around the world when the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge hosts its annual International Festival on Saturday, February 23.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from many countries, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home, a press release said. The festival entertainment will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. February 23 at the Children’s Museum at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.

Crafts that children may make and take include crocodile masks, an Egyptian necklace, and a French flag, the press release said. They may also learn about collecting international postage stamps and take their own passport around the festival booths to have it stamped and get a prize. [Read more…]

International Festival at Children’s Museum to feature entertainers, food, crafts

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The Knox Accordion-AIRs, Wolfgang Schaber and Linda Warren, will be featured performers at the Children’s Museum International Festival on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. (Submitted photo)

The Knox Accordion-AIRs, Wolfgang Schaber and Linda Warren, will be featured performers at the Children’s Museum International Festival on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. (Submitted photo)

 

The Knox Accordion-AIRs will be the featured performer when the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge hosts its annual International Festival on Saturday, February 17. The lively accordion duo will join Native American dancers, Greek and Indian folk dancers, hip hop dancers, and others during the multi-cultural festival, a press release said.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival entertainment will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Children’s Museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.

The Knox Accordion-AIRs are Wolfgang Schaber and Linda Warren. Schaber began studying the accordion as a child in his home country of Austria, the press release said. Warren, who describes herself as “a Tennessee girl through and through,” has been playing accordion since she was six. She enjoys squeezing country, rock ‘n roll, and Memphis blues and gospel music on her accordion. Schaber enjoys playing polkas, marches, a waltz or two, folk tunes, and classical music. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum hosts International Festival Saturday

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Obayana Ajanaku will play the djembe drums Saturday at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Submitted photo)

Obayana Ajanaku will play the djembe drums Saturday at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Submitted photo)

 

Obayana Ajanaku, who leads Indigenous Vibes, has traveled to Brazil, Russia, and Africa as a professional drummer. He teaches African drumming at Austin East High School in Knoxville, and he has introduced drumming in other Knox County schools.

On Saturday, Ajanaku’s Indigenous Vibes will be the featured entertainer at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge International Festival, a family-friendly gathering offering entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world. Music, dance, comedy, and martial arts will be on stage throughout the day, and children may make and take home a variety of international crafts.

“Our purpose is to reach out to the community, to talk about unity, diversity, and our outreach program with youth,” Ajanaku said, adding that at-risk youth benefit from learning drumming and participating in performances.

He said he has been drumming since he was six years old, encouraged by his mother. She was interested in the African culture and encouraged her children to learn African drumming and dance. He entertains and educates with the djembe drums, a set of drums that all work together, he explained. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum International Festival features music, dance, crafts, cuisine on Feb. 20

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Shamrock Road

Shamrock Road (Submitted photo)

 

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world at its annual International Festival on Saturday, February 20.

Shamrock Road, a band specializing in Irish ballads, will be the featured performer for the international event. The family-friendly festival will feature musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day, international food and culture booths, and crafts for children to make and take home.

The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. February 20 at the Children’s Museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.

Shamrock Road plays many old pub standards and contemporary ballads by such artists as Mary Black, Christy Moore, and U2. Two of the band members have lived in Ireland. Bob Morin, on vocals and 12-string guitar, lived in County Tipperary for several years. Steve Reddick, on vocals, banjo and harmonica, attended college in Cork City. Other band members are Mary Tuskan, on vocals, guitar, banjo and mandolin; Jake Alexander, on bass; and Amanda Morgan, on fiddle. [Read more…]

International Festival is Saturday at Children’s Museum

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Dancers at the International Festival at the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge

Dancers are pictured above at a previous International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The International Festival has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 28, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. The festival will include the same entertainment line-up, food, and culture booths originally set for last weekend.

It was postponed last weekend (Saturday, February 21) due to weather conditions.

The International Festival will feature entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world, with Spice of India Dancers as the featured performers. The family-friendly event will feature musical, song, and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day, international food and culture booths, and crafts for children to make. [Read more…]

Friday: OR Schools closed; AC Courthouse, Y-12 open at 8

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Note: This story was updated at 10:02 p.m.

Oak Ridge Schools will be closed Friday, and the Anderson County Courthouse and Y-12 National Security Complex will open at 8 a.m.

The offices of the Anderson County Clerk and Trustee will not open until 10 a.m.

“County officials still urge that Anderson County citizens stay safe and use extreme caution if citizens must be out and about,” a statement said. “County officials will continue monitoring the weather, and if it worsens earlier than anticipated on Friday, the Courthouse and other county government offices will be closed early.” [Read more…]

International Festival postponed to Feb. 28 at Children’s Museum

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Spice of India dancers at the Children's Museum International Festival

Spice of India dancers at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The International Festival scheduled for this Saturday, February 21, has been postponed due to weather forecasts for a snow and freezing rain Friday night and a wintry mix Saturday morning.

The postponement was announced by Carroll Welch, deputy director of the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

The festival has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 28, at the museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. It will feature the same entertainment line-up, food, and culture booths originally set for this weekend. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum hosts International Festival Feb. 21

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Spice of India dancers at the Children's Museum International Festival

Spice of India dancers at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world at its annual International Festival on Saturday, February 21. The family-friendly event will feature musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day, international food and culture booths, and crafts for children to make and take home.

The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. February 21 at the Children’s Museum at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. Food will be served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Children will be invited to make and take Chinese dragons, Japanese geisha masks, and Indian elephants at craft stations during the festival, as well as crafts at several International Bazaar booths. [Read more…]

Music, dance, food, crafts at Children’s Museum International Fest on Saturday

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Children's Museum International Festival 2013

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. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum Hosts International Fest Feb. 15

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Childrens Museum International Festival

Dancers at the 2013 International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

Picti, a duo performing Celtic rock, will be featured performers at the International Festival on Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. The duo will have the audience on their feet as they entertain with bagpipes, bouzouki, whistles and drums, drawing on tribal elements from Celtic traditions.

Festival goers will experience entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world at the family friendly event, with 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.

The International Festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Children’s Museum, 461 West Outer Dr., Oak Ridge. Food will be available from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

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. [Read more…]

Moscow Nights perform at Children’s Museum International Festival Saturday

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Moscow Nights

Moscow Nights (Submitted photo)

Moscow Nights, an ensemble of energetic musicians from Russia, will be featured performers at the International Festival on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. Moscow Nights’ concerts offer audiences an entertaining glimpse of Old Russia through music, humor, song and dance, inviting audience participation.

Festival goers will experience entertainment, crafts and cuisines from cultures around the world at the family friendly event, with musical 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.

[Read more…]