The world at our door
Diversity, environmentalism are the words of the day as WorldFest moves to the Clinton Presidential Center
By Helaine Williams (Contact)
LITTLE ROCK — WorldFest is back, but not in what has come to be known as its regular venue.
Instead of MacArthur Park, the awardwinning festival is being held at the Clinton Presidential Center and Park. The fun gets under way at 9 a.m. today and continues through Saturday.
Hosted by the Little Rock Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission, World-Fest 2008 will have an added touch. This year’s theme is “Diversity and Environmental Education for Everyone.” “Since its founding ... WorldFest has focused on celebrating diversity,” says Dr. Dennis Burrow, WorldFest co-chairman and a Little Rock physician. “But as [fellow organizers] and I started visiting about what we envisioned for World-Fest 2008, we decided it was importantto broaden the focus.”
And broaden its acreage. Although WorldFest has had a successful run behind the Arkansas Arts Center and the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, it had outgrown the space, co-chairman Mary Parham and Burrow say. MacArthur Park really was not designed for festivals; there was littleparking for school buses and cars. And the festival’s expanded evening hours weren’t conducive to the needs of the residential neighborhood that surrounds the park. The Clinton Presidential Park is better equipped for such an event and in fact has been the site of several festivals, the organizers add.
The celebration got under way Thursday with a WorldFest kickoff celebration in the River Market. As always, WorldFest will feature a variety of local and international performers, demonstrations, cultural exhibits, traditional music, dance, food from around the world, a Global Village, arts, crafts and literature. More than 50 booths will be set up, and performers representing cultures including Latin America and Africa will gather to provide continuous entertainment on two stages today and Saturday.
This year will mark the latest in a handful of WorldFest appearances for William Matheny of Jacksonville and the group he founded, MARTY (Martial Arts Reaches Today’s Youth). Designed to provide a fitness avenue for children while instilling positive values, MARTY focuses on the little-known African-Brazilian martial art of capoeira (cah-po-WEH-ra) while also incorporating hiphop and other martial arts moves.
“The WorldFest theme went rightalong with what our program was trying to promote,” Matheny says. “It’s kind of like hand in hand, almost.”
The MARTY booth will be set up until 1:30 p.m. today at the festival’s Global Village on the west side of the Clinton center. Handouts and information on capoeira will be distributed. Every 30 minutes or so, the group will do a demonstration.
“The kids enjoy ... going out there and performing for people,” Matheny says.
WorldFest provides MARTY with a stage to show that “not all kids are troublemakers; not all kids are trying to steal your wallet or steal your purse ... There are still some good kids around, basically.”
As part of a Health and Safety Awareness initiative set up by Gov. Mike Beebe’s office, local, state and nationalagencies will do health screenings and provide information on prevention of such diseases as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Water-safety information will be available. Food and merchandise vendors will also be on hand.
WorldFest is heavily geared toward schoolchildren - more than 1,000 from across the state will come to the festival today to participate in the Parade of Nations. The children will also have the opportunity to engage in various contests along with arts, crafts, face painting, international folk tales, language education, rock climbing and global games.
Interactive displays of several continents will provide an opportunity to learn more about numerous countries. Students and teachers have an opportunity to tour the Clinton library. Other highlights for children will include the Nickelodeon World Day of Play interactive area Saturday.
In conjunction with WorldFest, City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock will hold its opening day ceremony at 11 a.m.
today on the grounds of the state Capitol. Afterward, City Year corps members and other volunteers will host a Day of Service at the festival.
In addition, the festival will feature a campaign to eliminate hunger in Arkansas. Visitors are encouraged to bring a canned or nonperishable food item.
These will be donated to the Arkansas Foodbank Network.
WorldFest was established in the fall of 1995. In 2006, it captured first place in the National League of Cities Cultural Diversity Award.
WorldFest 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday, Clinton Presidential Center and Park, 1200 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock Admission: Free (501) 244-5483; rcdcworldfest.orgWorldFest schedule of performancesTODAY 9 a.m.: Grand opening and flag ceremony 10 a.m.: Gibbs International Studies Magnet School 10:30 a.m.: Pulaski Heights Elementary 10:45 a.m.: Cloverdale MiddleSchool 11:15 a.m.: College Station Elementary String Orchestra 11:30 a.m.: Awards Ceremony (recognition of winners of various school competitions) Noon: North Little Rock High School East Campus12:45 p.m.: Central High School 5 p.m.: Shamrock Strings of Little Rock 6 p.m.: Laz Estrellaz 7 p.m.: Brenda and Ellis 8 p.m.: Butterfly plus Irie Soul SATURDAY 9 a.m.: Billy St. James (The PraiseNetwork) Live Remote 11 a.m.: Kuk Sul Won Korean Martial Arts demonstration 11:30 a.m.: Mexican Folklore Ballet 11:45 a.m.: Arkansas Baptist College Choir Noon: Mirana Middle Eastern DanceCompany 12:30 p.m.: Anoush 1 p.m.: Teen Promise Royalty 2008 1:30 p.m.: Indian Associations of Arkansas 2 p.m.: EMOBA Drama Teens 2:30 p.m.: El-Latin Reggae 3 p.m.: Traveling Hips Belly DanceTroupe 3:30 p.m.: Lisa Academy 4 p.m.: DeJuan 5 p.m.: Elemental Belly Dance 5:30 p.m.: Fire & Brimstone 6 p.m.: 4x4 Crew 8 p.m.: Kemistri Bongo Willie will be performing throughout the park both days.
This article was published Friday, September 26, 2008.
Weekend, Pages 68 on 09/26/2008
