Even re-imagined and renamed, people flocked to Dawes Park in Evanston for the city’s annual celebration of world cultures, arts and music – an event some residents consider a time-honored tradition.
The World Arts and Music Festival, formerly known as the Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival, invited attendees to “travel the world without leaving town, with art, food and entertainment drawn from a variety of cultures from around the globe” July 15 and July 16.
Countries from Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and South America were represented at the event, which is now in its 33rd year. And the festival offered a brand new design as the diverse cultures were showcased.
“It’s a very different, creative way that we have re-imagined the show this year,” said Patricia Battaglia, festival coordinator of cultural arts programs for the city. “Hubs are decorated to represent the culture and crafts of each continent, creating a global village and providing a new way to experience art, food and entertainment.”
Kine Gueye traveled from New York City to sell handcrafted wares at the Senegal art booth.
“This festival is an important opportunity for us to educate people on our culture and to mingle and socialize along lovely Lake Michigan,” Gueye said.
The two-day event opened Saturday with a parade of nations and a ceremony that included a procession of flags from more than 200 countries.
Overall, the World Arts and Music Festival hosted over 80 artists and vendors, with five interactive family activity stations, culinary delights from vendors and local food producers and a global array of music and dance performances presented on the music stage.
A diverse lineup of performers on the lakefront mainstage included the Dabkeh Workshop with Muna Zarour (music of Syria), Los Perros Cubanos (music from Cuba 1940-1950) and a Trio from Maxwell Street Klezmer Band (music representing the immigrant America and the Eastern European Jewish community).
“There hasn’t been a more important time to represent the culture of humanity of Syria, Palestine and the Middle East,” said Wanees Zarour, wife of Muna Zarour. “With stereotypes coloring the political realm, this festival is an opportunity for musicians to share their art and their humanity.”
Chanda Johnson of Evanston attended the festival with her 10-year-old daughter Mahrain Hammond. Johnson said they made a point of stopping at every interactive arts activity.
“This is my daughter’s favorite festival because she likes the abundance of interactive art opportunities,” Johnson said.
“For me, as an art teacher at Bright Horizons of Evanston, I can see how kids are made to feel a part of the interconnectedness of the cultural origins of the event, and how they become tied to the festival in interactive ways,” she said.
This year’s event also offered participants an opportunity to learn more about the fair trade business from fair trade retailers like Ten Thousand Villages – based in Evanston, Tulia’s Artisan Gallery – which sells art handcrafted in Colombia and Good Threads, which helps to support the people of Jacmel, Haiti.
“It’s wonderful to have individual artists from indigenous cultures also represented here,” Battaglia said, “and to support them getting a fair wage.”
The festival is sponsored by the City of Evanston Parks, Recreation, and Community Service Department and partially supported by the Illinois Arts Council, according to organizers.
The World Arts and Music Festival also provided a pop-up component throughout the weekend, with family activities like an educational demonstration on fire safety presented by the Evanston Fire Department.
Longtime Evanston resident Ruth Felton said she considers the festival one of the highlights of the summer. She said attending is a tradition she has shared for many years with her sister, Marilyn Miletich, who visits annually from Asheville, North Carolina.
Felton said that, until recently, she also attended with their mother, Ruth, who always celebrated her birthday during this festival weekend.
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“As an Evanstonian this festival celebration has always overlapped with my mother’s birthday and now we’ll continue to celebrate world cultures, as well as considering it a memorial birthday celebration for mom,” Felton said.
Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.