More than 9,000 people are expected to flow through the this Saturday (09/27/14) swaying to music from a half-dozen areas of the world, partaking of food from multi-cultures, perusing international crafts, wearing or viewing national costumes, and making unity flags at a booth staffed by 草莓社区, one of the festival鈥檚 sponsors.
All of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 first-semester, first-year students are required to attend the festival 鈥� surely one of the most fun 鈥渞equirements鈥� a student could have. The university is providing free shuttle transportation from the Campus Commons to the festival site at every half hour, from the time the festival opens at noon to its 6 p.m. closing. (On-site parking is restricted 鈥� check the for more details.)
鈥淲e believe your hearts will be enlarged with the love you will find here, where smiles and hugs and beats that set your feet to dancing will re-energize your spirits in the beauty we share together,鈥� say the festival co-chairs, Vauna Brown and David Kreider, on the event website. (Kreider, who has been a festival organizer for a number of years, holds three degrees from EMU.)
In this, its 17th year, the festival is recognized as an annual tradition in Harrisonburg, perhaps the most ethnically diverse city in Virginia. Harrisonburg is also one of the most harmoniously livable cities in America by . Festival organizers believe this is not a coincidence.
鈥淲e have a lot of refugees in our community because of the Anabaptist movements and the responsibilities they feel to help refugees settle here in our community,鈥� explains Brown. In the early years of refugee re-settlement, 鈥渟ome of the churches had monthly potlucks and during those potlucks they would sit around and have a brainstorming about what they could do to [further] help.” From this brainstorming came the idea of a festival.
Local civic leaders 鈥� from the hospitals to the educational systems to city government 鈥� have not only endorsed the festival, they have stepped up to help create a hospitable climate in Harrisonburg. This year鈥檚 list of reads like a business and non-profit 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Who鈥� of Harrisonburg, with two of the top eight sponsors being EMU and the , founded and directed by EMU alumni.
鈥淭his year we are really focusing on unity and on the richness of our differences, which bring us together into a whole,鈥� says Heidi Jablonski, an 2014 EMU grad who is assisting Brown and Kreider. 鈥淭hese differences draw people together to make the valley such an interesting and dynamic place.鈥�
贰惭鲍鈥檚 with a renowned children鈥檚 performer, Jose-Luis Orozco, at 2:15 p.m. This is one of the eight musical performances of the day, which wraps up with the dance-rhythms of a new Eritrean band, Zara.
of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 is coordinating the making of unity flags, which are somewhat akin to Tibetan prayer flags. 鈥淭his is a community art project for anyone 鈥� children, teenagers, adults 鈥� anyone is welcome at the 鈥榩eace and justice area鈥� close to Pavilion 12,” she said.
鈥淧articipants will get a blank square of fabric and they will be able to put on symbols or prayers or poems that talk about unity,鈥� said Amstutz. 鈥淭hen, if they want, they can take them with them. Or they can pin them on pieces of string, which will be hung around the pavilion.鈥� She noted that this activity fits with 贰惭鲍鈥檚 focus on .
The festival also provides opportunities for fledgling entrepreneurs to get their start, says Brown, pointing out that at least three restaurants 鈥� the , , and 鈥� got their first exposures at past festivals.