Join us for the 5th Annual Turkish Festival Sunday October 14, 2007 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 pm on Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th streets NW.
5th Annual Turkish Festival in Washington, DC
A “Must See” Festival Celebrates Turkish Dance, Music, Arts, and Cuisine
www.turkishfestival.org
Washington, DC—The American-Turkish Association of Washington DC (ATA-DC) is pleased to present a day-long free fun-filled “must see” family festival celebrating authentic Turkish art and culture at the 5th Annual Turkish Festival on Sunday October 14, 2007 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Freedom Plaza and Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 13th and 14th Streets.
The Turkish Festival highlights include a rich variety of live Turkish musical and folk dance performances. Dances will depict wedding and henna night celebrations as well as vibrant lives of people from rustic Turkey. Performances will offer an exceptional glimpse of Turkic life, culture, and art in the region. Numerous musicians will delight the ears with Turkish melodies featuring traditional instruments from various regions of Turkey.
The Festival will also feature a Kids’ Tent to experience Turkish culture with hands-on activities and offer to the kids and their parents to have an unforgettable memory. This year the TURKids’ Tent will introduce seven geographical regions of Turkey with creative art and crafts activities to entertain children and allow them to explore another culture. Children and parents from different nationalities will spend great time together learning about historical facts such as the original stories of the Trojan Horse and Santa Claus, the great city of Istanbul and bosphorus.
The Culture and Tourism Tent will host a variety of interesting aspects of Turkey. The array of events will include exhibitions and guest speakers sharing their experiences, memories or knowledge of Turkey. Some of the highlights of the cultural activities will be; demonstration of the art of ceramics and miniatures, presentation of 2010 Istanbul European Capital of Culture, facts about seven different regions of Turkey, screening of the award winning documentary “Hiphopistan” and displaying works of various Turkish artists. Please refer to the Culture Tent section of our website for the most-up-to date program, guest speakers and the artists of the Culture and Tourism Tent.
Festival-goers can also taste delicious Turkish cuisine from the area’s Turkish restaurants. Kabobs, vegetarian dishes, and sweet and savory pastries will be available for purchase. This year, the Festival will feature a special booth by Gulluoglu, a family-owned sweets business founded in 1871. Varieties of Gulluoglu baklava, recognized as the best selling baklava in Europe, and other pastry specialties will be available for sale.
Fortune-tellers will be on hand in the special coffee house to read fortunes from coffee grinds and more than 20 arts and crafts vendors will showcase Turkish jewelry, hand-woven textiles, and pottery.
Turkish Festival hopes to make everybody cheer up, smile, and enjoy Turkey’s and exceptional cultural and historical traditions.
Admission to the Festival is FREE. Parking is available on side streets. Metro stop is Federal Triangle, then go north on 12th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue.
For more information, a complete schedule of activities, and sponsor information, visit the Festival website at www.turkishfestival.org
About ATA-DC
The American-Turkish Association of Washington DC, founded in 1965, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote cross-cultural understanding between the Turkish and non-Turkish communities in the Washington DC area. For more information visit www.atadc.org