Longview invites visitors to 25th annual international Festival

Longview invites visitors to 25th

annual International Festival

Lower Columbia College Student Center will be alive with the cultures from around the world Saturday, June 6 as the Ethnic Support Council puts on its 25th annual International Festival in Longview.

The event, co-sponsored by the LCC Multicultural Club, will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both floors of the student center and outside it.

Admission is free, thanks to donations from Bruno’s Pizza, PeaceHealth, Longview Police Benefit Association and various individuals who contributed $20 to $750 each to show their support of the event.

Event organizer Cindy Lopez Werth said the festival is held each year to celebrate the area’s growing diversity through multicultural entertainment, “world market” vendors, ethnic food booths and various children’s activities offered by community groups.

Countries or cultures represented either on stage, “world market” vendors or food booths this year are Aztec, Brazil, China, Hawaii, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Peru, USA and others. Members of the International Coffee Club will be wearing ethnic clothing from a variety of countries not listed.

“It’s a great, fun, educational event for people of all ages and it’s especially wonderful for children,” Werth said, emphasizing there will be plenty of free activities for kids. During gaps between performances, children will have an opportunity to model ethnic clothing, guess which countries flags are from and learn world geography.

City of Longview tourism fund money pays for advertising the event in communities outside Cowlitz County to draw people there. Werth and other festival planners have displayed event posters in Clark, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum counties in Washington and Columbia County in Oregon.

On top of that, Werth said she is donating $100 from her own pocket to reward people who attend from other areas beyond Cowlitz County. She will hold five special drawings for people 18 and older who can prove they live outside Cowlitz County by showing a current driver’s license, state ID card or a piece of mail showing a home address that is not in Cowlitz County. The five $20 cash prizes will be awarded at about 10:55 a.m. The last four drawings will be at 11:55 a.m., 12:55 p.m., 1:55 p.m. and 2:55 p.m. just before a performance. People must register at the Ethnic Support Council table before the drawings and must be present to win. Individuals may register only once.

Werth said that although the festival admission is free, donations are gratefully accepted throughout the day. “Keeping the International Festival a free event is a top priority for our planning committee. We greatly appreciate the donations, whether it’s $1 or $20. It all helps.”

For more information about the Ethnic Support Council or the International Festival, text or call 360-751-4427 or e-mail cindylopezwerth@comcast.net. The event flyer will be available at http://www.ethnicsupportcouncil.org on the website’s events page the week leading up to the festival.