Brunswick County prepares for Intercultural Festival

Jules Verne took 80 days in a balloon to tour the world. However, thanks to the Brunswick County Intercultural Festival, a short car ride can take you to quite a bit of it — all in one day, at the end of September.

On Sept. 29-30, Brunswick County will host its 13th annual Intercultural Festival, a two-day affair at the Brunswick County Community College Campus.

It’s a free event aimed at families. The fun starts Sept. 29 with a performance by the African American Dance Ensemble, a leader of traditional African Dance and Music for over 30 years. In addition to a school performance Friday afternoon, there will be free concert at 7 p.m. at the Odell Williamson Auditorium.

On Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also at Brunswick Community College on the grounds of the Odell Williamson Auditorium, more than 20 countries and cultures will represent themselves through, food, dance, and music and education information (including crafts) booths.

Festival Director Mari-Lou Wong-Chong said the event is aimed at learning about various cultures.

“Except for a minimal charge for food, the festival is free,” Wong-Chond said. “Besides the exhibits and entertainment on the festival stage, there are many activities for children such as a children’s wood workshop, Brunswick County Schools’ Poster Art Contest, and a children’s art workshop.”

Passport to Culture, a “passport” that the children can take to all of the various country booths to have stamped, is an activity children enjoy.

This is the fifth year Sayako Payne’s Japanese Drum Group, RYUKYUKOKU MATSURI DAIKO, will take the stage. A native of Okinawa, Payne, now a U.S. citizen, brings together second and third generations from Okinawa heritage to drum.

“We like to share a different aspect of Japan,” Payne said. “Normally people see only the slow dancing or think about karate.”

Uyen Nguyen will offer a booth offering information on Vietnamese food, music, culture and language. Born in Saigon, Nguyen was a refugee and became a citizen in 1986.

“As an immigrant, I sincerely appreciate my new home, which has given me a chance to be a productive and contributing member of society,” she said. “I always cherish the diversity of our American culture and am proud that my Vietnamese culture is part of it. I hope that by introducing cultures from around the world we will be able to better understand and appreciate the beauty and richness of the diverse American culture.”

Marina Quarticelli will represent Romania. She has had a booth since 2013. Quarticelli wears her own traditional costume blouse and displays ceramics and other folk craft artifacts. A U.S. resident since 2002, she said,” I want to raise awareness about other cultures and teach children and students about the rich diversity of our world.”

She values the festival because “it’s a great way to travel around the world (without even getting on a plane!) learn about different cultures, and make new friends.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2017 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Brunswick County prepares for Intercultural Festival."