Oct 7, 2006, Boalsburg Discovery Days Multicultural Columbus Festival Promotes Cultural Harmony Through Cultural Awareness

To celebrate Christopher Columbus and all the cultures that have shaped America, historic Boalsburg will host a Cultural Heritage Festival on October 7, 2006, from Noon to 4 PM.

Photo: Lifting spirits at the Boalsburg Cultural Heritage Festival at last year's festival was the Essence of Praise Choir under the direction of Duane Bullock.

This is because in Boalsburg descendants of Christopher Columbus and even the Admiral’s desk of the famed explorer provide a unique living connection with Columbus, who first arrived in the New World on October 12, 1492, to begin the American experiment that continues today.

Food, music, dance and crafts of many cultures will be featured from Noon to 4 PM on Saturday, October 7, in the festive Boalsburg village square beautifully decked out in the flags of many nations. Then at 7:30 PM community members will gather for the Boalsburg Columbus Ball at the Boal Mansion Museum with contra-dancing, champagne and fine food.

“The weekend is about cultural harmony through cultural awareness,” says Christopher Lee, a Boal descendant of Christopher Columbus and current director and resident of the Boal Mansion. Lee quotes former Penn State President Bryce Jordan who once spoke in Boalsburg, saying “Diversity in America is not a threat. It is a resource.”

Photo below: Youngsters cut out paper dolls of their heritage from the Boalsburg-Panorama Elementary Schools PTA while the Collins Family plays Irish music in the background at the October 2004 festival.

The Noon to 4 PM festival is sponsored by the Boalsburg Village Conservancy. It takes place in the village on Saturday, October 7, and will feature music and crafts of many cultures.

There will be continual free wagon rides with a guide through historic Boalsburg. Stops include the village square (Church and Main Streets), the Boalsburg Heritage Museum (East Main Street, open 1-4 PM) where Chuck Hacker of Duffy's Tavern will be baking bread in the old beehive oven and they will be offering cider and pumpkin pie; and the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum (300 Old Boalsburg Road) where guided tours of the famous Columbus Chapel and the remarkably intact 1789 Boal Mansion will be offered (open Noon to 5 PM). The Boals, a leading Pennsylvania family, have lived at the Boal Mansion for 217 years and the furnishing, tools and weapons of nine generations are still on display at the Boal Mansion Museum, including remarkable European art and artifacts as well.

The music and dance schedule (updated 10/4)  is:

Noon-12:35 Will Mills, Irish and Eastern European violin

12:35-12:40 Urban Dance Troupe, Toya Pratt

12:40-12:50 Filippino dance and song

12:50-1:30 Mike Bratt, guitar and vocal

1:30-1:35 Urban Dance Troupe, Toya Pratt

1:35-1:50 Tir na Nog School of Irish Dancing, Sue Garner

1:50 – 2:15 Anatolian Fusion, Turkish ensemble

2:15 – 2:20 Ruchi Chovishya, Indian dance

2:20 – 2:45 Will Mills, Irish and Eastern European violin

2:45 – 3:00 Filippino dance and song

3:00 -3:30 Jason Thomas with Mike Bratt, guitar and vocal

3:30 – 4:00 Anatolian Fusion, Turkish ensemble

The village festival is free. For more information on Boalsburg and their Columbus activities, or for ethnic groups wishing to join in presenting the food, music or crafts at the festival, contact the Boal Mansion Museum at 814-466-6210 or office@boalmuseum.com or PO Box 116sburg PA 16827.

Performers at the festival include:

Filipino Dancers (below):

The Penn State Filipino Association will perform two cultural dances and a vocal selection in the Tagalog language that represent the nation’s proud legacy of music and dance.  The first dance, called “Tinikling” showcases dancers who imitate the tikling bird’s legendary grace and speed as they skillfully play, chase each other, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Hence it is named after the bird, tikling. This version of the dance is done between a pair of bamboo poles.  The dancers rhythmically move into and out of the sticks as the danger of being “caught in the bamboo trap” holds through the entire dance.   Secondly, a dance of the Ilokano Christians and non-Christians from the province of Abra, Sakuting was originally performed by boys only. It portrays a mock fight using sticks to train for combat. The stacatto-inflected music suggests a strong Chinese influence. The dance is customarily performed during Christmas at the town plaza, or from the house-to-house. The spectators give the dancers aguinaldos, or gifts of money or refreshments especially prepared for Christmas.  The vocal selection is called “Hindi Kita Malilimutan” and is sung completely in Tagalog.

 

Mike Bratt (right) and Jason Thomas (left):

Mike Bratt, guitarist/singer/songwriter, delivers a bluesy blend of music that’s sure to move body and soul. Pennsylvania Musician says Jason Thomas offers up “passionate and thoughtful” alternative acoustic music.

Urban Dance Troupe

The UDT educates people of various cultural traditions (Latin, African, American-urban, Caribbean) in the arts; coordinates dance routines and performances focused on various types of dance (Jazz, flamenco, salsa, hip-hop, African, etc.

 

Anatolian Fusion (photo below)

Anatolian Fusion makes traditional folk and classical Turkish music with their unique interpretations at times. Major band members are Hasan Koc on aquistic and electric baglama and SavasYavuzkurton acoustic baglama. They are both Penn State scientists who take music seriously as hobby. Turkey, especially the city of Istanbul (referred to by many as “World Capital”), has been the cultural center and melting pot for the music of the surrounding cultures (mainly Turkish, Greek, Arabic, Persian, and Armenian) for centuries. Therefore, the Turkish music is in reach in unique rhythmic styles and scales featuring measures such as 9/8, 9/4, 10/8, and 7/8 and rhythmic styles known as karsilama, ciftetelli, zeybek.

 

 

Tir na Nog (no photo)

The name of the school is Tir na Nog (pronounced tier - na - nog (long 'o' sound)).  It is Gaelic for 'Land of the Youth'.  The dancers will be performing a 3 hand reel - consisting of figures or patterns and individual steps.  They will also be performing a hard shoe jig. --Sue Garner.