Next Maine Event: Try something new at Portland's Festival of Nations
Besides enjoying ethnic music, food and dancing, you may come to better understand your diverse neighbors.
By SHANNON BRYAN Staff Writer
Portland doesn't have the sprawling square footage of Chicago or the towering skyscrapers of New York City.
FESTIVAL OF NATONS
WHEN: 2 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Deering Oaks, Portland
HOW MUCH: Free admission
FOOD OPTIONS: Array of diverse food vendors
PARKING: On street or in small area lots
DON'T MISS: The diverse food options. Try something new. Try lots of things new.
KID-FRIENDLY FACTOR: Family-friendly festival
BENEFIT: Proceeds benefit individual vendors
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: The event goes on
MORE INFO: www.wini.us/festival.htm
Maine's "big city" may be dwarfed by its larger city cousins to the south and west, but Portland isn't small on culture.
"There's tons of diversity (in Portland)," said Michael Okigbo, coordinator of the annual Festival of Nations event, which returns to Deering Oaks on Saturday. "It's a welcoming area with incredible life."
The Festival of Nations celebrates Greater Portland's diverse blend of residents while also promoting a sense of unity among locals whose heritages may differ, but who make Portland the rich cultural community that it continues to be.
Festivalgoers from Maine and "away" will congregate in Portland's Deering Oaks park for the eighth year this Saturday to celebrate ethnic diversity and understanding with a day of dancing, music and food.
An array of musicians and performers take the stage throughout the day, starting at noon with DJ Jennifer Tulley who will play music from around the world. Local acoustic musician Adam Earley performs at 2:35 p.m. followed by a performance from an Irish dance troupe at 3:15 p.m.
Local Keelan Donovan brings his songwriting to the stage at 3:45 p.m. and the band Inkaswasi performs at 4:30 p.m. Rwanda and Burundi dancers will get the crowd ready for some dancing of their own when the children's dance competition kicks off at 6 p.m. and the adult competition follows suit at 6:30 p.m.
Eric Bettencourt (6:45 p.m.) and Stream Reggae (7:30 p.m.) close out the evening's on-stage entertainment.
While event attendees are sure to enjoy the family-friendly revelry, Okigbo hopes they take away something more lasting. "What I really hope for is they have a new perspective on Portland," he said, noting that the festival helps "exhibit the life that's in this city."
And life there is, from Serbia, Somalia, India and Nigeria. From Ireland, Ethiopia and Greece.
Festivalgoers can peruse the unique creations of a host of craft vendors such as Millpond Threads, European Handicraft, Narevi Alpaca Collection and Passport of Africa.
And the abundance of diverse dishes being served up in Deering Oaks Park might make it hard to decide where to start. Food vendors include Le Tallie, Indian Palace, Frolic Concessions, Mama Mermaids Seafood, Zewdeu Ethiopian Kitchen, Spartan Grill, Ray Ray Cafe and Hoaria Majeed, among others.
Okigbo hopes attendees will take advantage of the unique opportunity to sample diverse food, buy diverse crafts and meet each other during Festival of Nations. "Ask questions, stay for the performances, try something new," he said. If you've had Indian food in the past, why not try Nigerian food this time?
The event, Okigbo noted, gives locals the chance to grow as people and to see the collective heritages that make Portland the vibrant city it is. It's also a chance to meet neighbors, learn from one another and appreciate how celebrating differences can bring a community together.
"Bring your family, bring a smile bring an open mind," said Okigbo. "And bring your wallet. You're going to want to eat a lot."
Staff Writer Shannon Bryan can be contacted at 791-6333 or at:
sbryan@mainetoday.com
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15 COMMENTS
JEFC said...
UofA: Yes, plainly you'd make better use of your time reading about this country's history.
July 25, 2010 at 4:52 AM Report abuse
Realistic said...
It looks as if UofA's predecesors never needed to rely on gov't for help, ever. They got off the boat and immediately learned English. They found work immediately as they were highly skilled immigrants who learned a second language quickly. Of course, they asssmilated so quickly, they were full-fledged Americans by the time they got off the boat. This is nothing more than a romanticized version of "my grandparents' immigration" many suscribe to without fact checking. UofA, can you substantiate your claims?
July 25, 2010 at 7:11 AM Report abuse
firstover said...
Go eat some food and listen to some music and you'll feel much better about the gangs.
July 25, 2010 at 7:20 AM Report abuse
otisslee said...
Realitic, What you describe in mocking tones actually did happen, probably millions of times. My great grandparents came to the US in 1911, before the era of government handouts. They packed 3 families into a basement apartment in Lawrence, MA until their fledgling bakery business began to prosper. They sold the bakery, reloed to Portland, and started other businesses such as printing, plumbing, and masonry. I fact checked this through records at Ellis Island, old newspapers, family diaries, and some photographs. What you view as a 'romanticized immigration' was actually a brave and gut wrenching struggle that succeeded because of commitment and self reliance.
July 25, 2010 at 7:42 AM Report abuse
null said...
Ya lets all go down to the Oaks and meet your new friends. Dont forget to bring your switch blade. Make sure you drop some money into the Catholic Charities of Maine booth. Have a nice day!!!
July 25, 2010 at 8:18 AM Report abuse
zombie9 said...
otisslee: What you say may be true in many cases, you can't confuse the immigrant with the refugee. I have not had much interaction with the recent African refugees, but have worked with Vietnamese and Cambodians in the past. They are not here because they wanted to be. They are here because they escaped certain death in their home countries. Most I have met would have liked to stay or go back to their home countries. More to the point, diversity is one of the things that has made this country great. Not the ethnic cleansing that our ancestors committed on the native population. Knowledge is gained through understanding.
July 25, 2010 at 8:26 AM Report abuse
bergerac said...
Look at all the sick, twisted people attacking such an uplifting, enjoyable event.
July 25, 2010 at 8:29 AM Report abuse
JEFC said...
UofA: My grandparents came to this country in the 1920s. They worked hard to give their children, my father, uncle and aunts, a life better than their own. They were subject to the views of stupid, bigoted, evil people, like you, who didn't understand, who feared and who hated people who didn't look like, talk like, eat the same food as or share the same ethnicity as themselves. After 90 years cultures mixed, understandings developed, attitudes changed and people like you passed. My grandparents' ethnic group, my ethnic group, is a vital part of this country, like the ethnic groups of immigrants here before my grandparents and like the ethnic groups of immigrants who've followed and will follow.
July 25, 2010 at 8:48 AM Report abuse
JEFC said...
otisslee: Welfare programs didn't exist in this country until the 1930s.
July 25, 2010 at 8:49 AM Report abuse
StovePrairie said...
Familiarity with and educated introduction to foreign peoples constitute a soldered weapon of woven peoples' fabric that is a preventive instrument against war and social injustice. This is a long sentence, but I personally have practiced it certainly since 1962 on a personal basis. It works from the micro to the macro.
July 25, 2010 at 10:27 AM Report abuse
UofA said...
JEFC- My ancestry has been researched to a gentlemen from RI that fought somewhere in the Revolutionary War on one side of my family and I had a Grandmother that was a Cherokee Indian. I even have 3 beautiful bi-racial great grandchildren that I adore. I have Scottish, Irish and God only knows what else but most of my family has not depended on a single welfare program whatever. One of my cousins is the third generation rice farmer in Arkansas, another nephew has a huge Hydraulic Business in PA. I even have one Democrat in the family but I don't hold that against my daughter that married the guy. Some of my family may have received some govt. help but I haven't heard of a single one that has made a living at it like a lot of Mainers that sit on their steps waiting for their checks or have babies by several breeders or some of the refugees/immigrants in Lewiston that are still unemployed 3-4 years after getting off of the buses from Atlanta.
July 25, 2010 at 11:48 AM Report abuse
Mag said...
Michael Okigbo, son of Shalom Odokara. Why no mention of the relationship in this article?
July 25, 2010 at 12:30 PM Report abuse
LarrySellers said...
Ottislee at 7:42, "What you view as a 'romanticized immigration' was actually a brave and gut wrenching struggle that succeeded because of commitment and self reliance." LMAO...most immigrants were fleeing communism, facism, and the oppressive European governments! My great gandparents fled the baltic srates during the same period to escape Russian imperialsim, it's ultimate replacement with communism and the civil unrest that transpired. And now you progressive socialist liberals just can't wait to create the exact system of government our immigrant forefathers were fleeing. Try looking at the ENTIRE story otislee, instead of your narrow, secondhand romanticized view of it.
July 25, 2010 at 1:50 PM Report abuse
Mohoboibi said...
Allah bless you all.... namaste namaste namaste
July 25, 2010 at 5:39 PM Report abuse
Realistic said...
JEFC: My initial comment (7:11 AM) did not seek to offend immigrants or immigration.Rather, it wanted to highlight that many right-wingers erroneously assume that their immigrant predecessors never needed to,nor actually got on the dole. Whom do you think was waiting them at the port? The party machines, waiting for future voters. While there was not gov't welfare then as we know it now, charity was still necessary, and obviously was not enough. I do not deny that many immigrants then were as enterpreneurial as today. Note that UofA cannot even deny that "some of [his or her] family may have received some govt. help" even as s/he prides his/her family on being all Republican. This is Republican by convenience "I need some dole today. But no one else should be receiving it."
July 25, 2010 at 6:15 PM Report abuse