Culture Fest coming to LC Civic Center
Published 4:27 pm Friday, October 17, 2014
The fourth annual Culture Fest will kick off next weekend at the Lake Charles Civic Center, showcasing the cultures — including music, dance and food — of the people who live in Southwest Louisiana.
The event, which is free, is put on by a group of volunteers to celebrate the diversity in the area, said Pat Kelty, project director. It will start at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Civic Center.
“With all of the people that we have already here from other cultures and with the thousands of people we’re bringing in, we feel this is an important event for Southwest Louisiana,” Kelty said. “If we make these people feel welcome, they are more likely to stay.”
Kelty said knowledge is the “basis for tolerance.”
“This is a fun event — so much fun that those who attend won’t know they’re learning,” Kelty said. “This brings cultural awareness.
“Friday will feature the music of Rajasthani Gypsy Caravan as our Gujarati community shares the food, music and dance from their state in India. They join Culture Fest Louisiana, the city of Lake Charles and other local organizations to celebrate a night of Garba and Raas. Garba is a joyful dance form that celebrates the feminine and is especially popular at festival times. Raas is a dance of celebration — it is another traditional Gujarati dance in which pairs of dancers hold a short stick in each hand and strike one another’s sticks in time to the music.”
Culture Fest will continue Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. It’s being held in conjunction with Arts Fest, which will be in the Exhibition Hall. The theme for Arts Fest is “Monuments and Landmarks Around the World.”
Culture Fest will have four stages. Entertainment will include Irish musicians Farouche and Simon Spalding, classical Indian and Bhangra dancers, bluegrass, jazz and square dancing. There will be crafts and storytelling for children.
The cultural areas include Europe, Asia, South America, Southeast Asia, North America, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.
Online: www.culturefestlouisiana.com.
