From local reports
PARKERSBURG - The 17th annual Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival begins Friday and runs through Sunday at City Park, bringing the sights, sounds, tastes and feels of many different cultures to the local area.
Admission is free for the festival, which runs from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Artists representing more than 20 cultures and nationalities are scheduled to perform during the three-day festival. There will also be ethnic food vendors, crafters and an international market place to complement the live entertainment.
The "International Boulevard" will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, a new addition to this year's festival. Groups and individuals from the Mid-Ohio Valley will be exhibiting items from their country of origin during the program. Some of the countries will include Uzbekistan, Romania, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Ireland, India, and China.
The City Park Pavilion will feature a variety of arts and crafts stations for children from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Performers from around the country featured at this year's Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival will include: The Prodigals, Runa, Appalasia, Gizzae; German accordion musicians Ken and Mary, Native American singer/songwriter Michael Jacobs; the Middle Eastern music and dance group TarabRaqs from Berkeley Springs, W.Va.; and acoustic folk blues performer Veronika Jackson.
The schedule
of entertainment
Friday
6 p.m.: Opening ceremonies (Main Stage): Celtic Hair Braiding with Ben Fair (Arts in Motion Tent)
6:30 p.m.: Runa (Celtic music) (Main Stage)
7 p.m.: Stained Glass with Greg Fleeman (Arts in Motion Tent)
8:30 p.m.: The Prodigals (Celtic rock group) (Main Stage)
Saturday
11 a.m.: Baba Jubal Harris (African drum-maker) (Workshop)
Noon: Michael Jacobs (Native American Singer/Songwriter) (Main Stage)
1 p.m.: Baba Jubal Harris (African drummer) (Main Stage)
1-4 p.m.: Spinning by Wheel and Hand with Joan Coffey and Friends (Arts in Motion Tent)
2 p.m.: Ken and Mary (German accordion musicians) (Main Stage)
3 p.m.: TarabRaqs (Middle Eastern Music and Dance) (Main Stage)
4 p.m.: S. H. Kang's Tae Kwon Do (Korean Martial Arts Demo) (Main Stage)
4:45 p.m.: Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company (Main Stage)
5 p.m.: Adult Yoga with Lori Tofaute (Arts in Motion Tent)
5:30 p.m.: Appalasia (Appalachian and Asian music) (Main Stage): Kids Yoga with Lori Tofaute (Arts in Motion Tent)
7 p.m.: Veronika Jackson (Acoustic folk blues music) (Main Stage)
8:30 p.m.: Gizzae (Reggae music group)
Sunday
Noon: Interdenominational Prayer (Main Stage)
1 p.m.: Ken and Mary (German accordion musicians) (Main Stage)
1-3 p.m.: Tae Kwon Do with Ohio Valley Tae Kwon Do (Arts in Motion Tent)
1:30 p.m.: Pipes and Drums of St. Andrew (bagpipe band) (Main Stage)
2 p.m.: Michael Jacobs (Native American singer/songwriter) (Main Stage)
3 p.m.: TarabRaqs (Drum Circle) (Main Stage)
To be announced.: Hip Pocket (rock band) (Main Stage)
