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| NewsSunday, August 19, 2007 10:10 PM CDT |
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Crowd shrugs off drizzle at cultural festival in the park
BLOOMINGTON — A range of artists performed Saturday at the Cultural Festival Weekend in Miller Park, but Mother Nature stole the show for a while. | Photo gallery There were hip-hop dancers, rappers, martial arts performers and Indian musicians, but rain took center stage for much of the afternoon. Festival-goers huddled under exhibitors’ tents, but that gave them the opportunity to learn more about black, Arab and Indian cultures and various organizations in the community. Children made crafts and had their faces painted under the shelter. The festival will continue today. When the rain dripped lightly, umbrellas opened and people waited for the entertainment to return, Indian musicians warmed up backstage, and several Muslim men prayed quietly on the grass. “They’ll come back when the music comes back,” program coordinator Tony Jones said of the spectators. He was right. After the rain cleared up by later afternoon, the crowds picked up again. The festival usually attracts about 12,000 visitors over the entire weekend each year. No attendance estimate was available Saturday. Deguene Fall of Bloomington and her three sons, ages 5 to 12, attended the festival for the first time. “They really liked the dancing,” she said. They weren’t the only ones. The audience closed in on the stage and cheered when the Ace of Spades hip-hop dancers performed. “I like the reaction we get from the crowd,” said Devon Sterling, 18, who has danced with the group for two years. Girls cheered, and many people stood up and moved to the rhythm. “That’s what we always get when we dance,” he said. Bobby Wilkinson, president of 100 Black Men, also was greeted with big smiles when he handed out book bags stocked with school supplies to children. The group, in its fourth annual appearance at the festival, focuses on mentoring and encouraging students to continue their education, Wilkinson said. “Education is the key for young kids,” he said. The festival will continue to increase the number of cultures represented next year, said Sharmi Shah, a member of the State Farm Insurance Cos. diversity advisory board. The insurance company sponsors the event. When the cultural festival started 18 years ago, it mostly celebrated black culture. About six years ago, it began to include more elements of Indian culture. This year, five Indian associations participated, she said. “Next year, we want to include more Chinese, Koreans, Latinos and Hispanics,” she said. She said she hopes other cultures will join to increase diversity. Events today will include a show by jazz musician Adam Larson, 17, who won the talent show at the Cultural Festival when he was 12 years old. He also won the next year. “So we made him a featured performer,” Jones said. Larson has become very popular and performed in Paris this summer, Jones said. Larson and the Groove Quintet are set to take the stage at 3:15 today, barring any rain delays. Today’s lineup The final day of the Cultural Festival in Bloomington’s Miller Park will feature the following acts at the bandstand: 1 p.m.: Steve The Harp Blues Band 2 p.m.: Change Up (jazz band) 3:15 p.m.: Adam Larson Groove Quintet (jazz) 5:15 p.m.: Soft Spoken (jazz) E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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