Culture Fest Oct. 21 at Schaumburg library celebrates diversity
Festivals! Where would we be without them? Across the U.S.A., there are festivals celebrating everything from pickles to hot air balloons to tulips. But at the Schaumburg library, you can experience the best festival of all. Celebrate our township's rich and beautiful ethnic diversity with Culture Fest from 1-5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21, throughout the central library, 130 S. Roselle Road. No fee or registration is required. Come solo or grab your friends, family and neighbors for an afternoon of music, theater, stories, games, art and crafts for all ages.
The festival will kick off with the Latin American rhythms of Grupo Folklorico Quetzal from 1-2 p.m. in Workshop, on the library's first floor. This Mexican dance performance will set the tone for an abundance of multicultural experiences to follow. If you've never seen Indonesian Shadow Puppetry, and even if you have, don't miss this unique form of puppet theater by Mandala Arts from 1:30-2 p.m. in the Rasmussen Room.
Anyone who would like to learn a few self-defense moves is welcome to attend the Chinese Martial Arts Demonstration by Chicagoland Shaolin Kung Fu from 2-3 p.m. in kidsZone. Up next will be a great storytelling experience for kids of all ages, as the Fehinty African Theatre Ensemble presents African Storytelling from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Fiction area. After the African storytelling, come and be captivated by grace and beauty as Mandala Arts presents an Indian Dance Performance from 3-4 p.m. in Workshop.
What would a Culture Fest be without food? Stop outside and buy a snack from the Bombay Wraps food truck from 1-4 p.m. on the library's east lawn. And if you enjoy cooking, learn to make some cultural dishes of your out during the Ramadan Food Demonstration by Yvonne Maffei from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Rasmussen Room.
If you miss the earlier storytelling sessions, or simply want more, bring the kids to the Native American Storytelling and Dance from 4-5 p.m. in kidsZone. These colorful tales will be presented by Schaumburg's own Trickster Art Gallery.
In addition to the scheduled events and performances, there will be several interactive activities taking place throughout Culture Fest. These include Tasty Travels Sensory Stations in the Craft Room, Games from around the World in the Program Room, Multicultural Crafts in the Adult Classroom, Mosaics Across Cultures: Interactive Display in The Commons, and See Your Name in Assyrian by Assyrian American Civic Club of Chicago, also in The Commons.
Many exciting cultural programs will also take place in the weeks leading up to Culture Fest. For a full listing, see the library's October-November Guide which is mailed to Schaumburg Township residents and available online at www.SchaumburgLibrary.org. Guides are also available in the library.