International spirit abounds at Elgin's iFest

Melinda Hajroja lost count of how many times she gave people a primer on Albania from behind her booth at iFest in Elgin.

"They come up and they don't know where Albania is - or if Albania is even a country," the Algonquin resident said with a bemused smile on Saturday. Far from taking offense, she relished the chance to share her culture at the fifth annual festival on Saturday.

"I love it," Hajroja said. "It's a way for many people to learn about geography and about international countries. It's an easy way for children, and even adults, to learn."

Performances on three stages included Polish, Indian, Mexican and Irish dances, plus Chinese drums, funk music and alternative rock.

Bounek Phaoui of Elgin said he came to see a Lao Youth performance, and really enjoyed storytelling by La Flor the Roca, a children's summer theater based on Latin American fables written by Ignacio Betancourt.

Melissa Alvarez, who moved to Elgin in June with her husband and two children, said the family enjoyed the chance to get to know their new town better.

They especially were intrigued by the cultural exchange program Friendship Force International, one of the many organizations with a booth at the festival. "We are definitely interested in traveling and hosting," she said.

Dundee Scottish Pipe Band member Wes Williams of Crystal Lake said iFest always is full of surprises. "It's neat to see all of the different cultures that are here in the area. I definitely knew there were cultures around here - but not this many."

Councilwoman Rose Martinez praised singer Jesus Ramos, who sang the national anthem mariachi-style at the start of the day.

"I think people were touched and surprised," she said.

And while all festival organizers fret about the weather, iFest's had more reason than most. Until Saturday, the festival had been rained on each year, once so hard it had to shut down. This year, lots of people happily commented, the weather held up.