Features International Music, Dance, Crafts, Cuisine
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, Feb. 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.
Make-and-take crafts will include African masks, paper sailboats, fish windsocks, mosaic rainbows, yarn dolls and noisy shakers. The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Children’s Museum, 461 West Outer Dr., Oak Ridge.
Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue will bring animals with origins in international locations. Frank Murphy, 93.1 WNOX radio host, will broadcast live from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the festival. Einstein Simplified, a troupe that Murphy performs with, will entertain with its improvisational comedy.
Among performers will be Spice of India Dancers, Lucia’s Arte Y Pasion Flamenca dancers, the Starving Six German Band, the Secret City Squares square dancing group, SalsaKnox, a Latin dance company presenting interactive dance, Allen McBride on hammered dulcimer, the Oak Ridge High School Chorus and ORHS Jazz Band, and International Belly Dancing with Debka.
National Martial Arts will present an interactive karate demonstration. Among arts and crafts demonstrations will be basket weaving by Fox Hollow Creations and pottery by Sherrie Carris.
Food booths will have dishes from nearly a dozen countries available to purchase. Two food trucks, Oishii Knox Food Truck, serving Japanese fusion and sushi dishes, and Jamamerican Jerk, will also offer international selections. Hosting cultural booths will be Roane State International Education students, St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Nuestros Ni?os with Guatemalan crafts, A True Family of Hope with Haitian items, and Project Being There with Vietnamese items.
The Knoxville Area Model Railroaders will operate model trains at the World of Trains exhibit
during the festival, and the Train Garden will be open, weather permitting. Royal Magic Events
will offer face painting and balloon animals for a small fee.
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 the Children’s Museum at (865) 482-1074, or see the Children’s Museum web site at www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.
