Sunday, June 7, 2009

Festival of the Arts

This year was the 40th anniversary of our Festival of the Arts, a fantastic FREE street festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Featuring 27 food booths, tons of entertainment (from poetry to film to music to dance), and all manners of art, Festival is a gathering unlike any other. Here are some photos from Friday and Saturday.


When I was younger, I didn't appreciate the food aspect of Festival as much as I should have. Now that I am a little more of an adventurous eater, Festival is a treat for my taste buds as well as my other senses. Here is the pierogi booth, put on by the Steepletown Neighborhood Services group. I wasn't really feeling well this year because of a stomach bug, but I had some pierogis anyway (and paid the price later on that night) and it was totally worth it.

A perennial favorite, my high school alma mater has an elephant ear food booth that delights people both young and old. The scent of warm cinnamon and deep fryers wafts through the air, drawing in even the most steadfast dieters. Here is a photo of my half-eaten elephant ear, just in case you didn't know what I was talking about.


All sorts of groups put on food booths, from high schools to churches to the Krishnas!



All sorts of people attend Festival, from the radically conservative ...

... to the radical ...
... to the kooky ...



... and, of course, the families!


My son really seemed to love Festival! The people watching at this event is unparallelled, and he squealed with delight as children ran by and music played.


Here is a lovely shot of the Calder, a centerpiece of the festival and our beautiful city, as nighttime fell on the first night of the festivities.


My husband didn't come with us on Friday and with rain threatening on Sunday we decided to visit again on Saturday. Sadly, I had to forgo any more of the food because my stomach just couldn't handle it, but I still had a lot of fun!
Here is a shot of the main thoroughfare, lined with some architecturally-stunning buildings.


This year, my husband began a love affair with the Bosnian food booths, sampling a Cevapi (Bosnian-style sausages with ethnic spices) and a Bosnian kebab (lamb & beef, cucumber sauce, lettuce, tomato). He enjoyed both of his food choices immensely, and my son seemed to be a little jealous. Don't worry, little man, you'll get your turn once you get some more teeth!



We saw some more interesting people the second day, including this guy ... a ninja passing out flyers, though I have no idea what for.



As we were leaving, we encountered some people performing Capoeira, a Brazilian Portugese combination of martial arts and dance. It was incredibly interesting to watch, and while there were certainly different skill-levels present they all did a great job!



All in all, we had a lovely time at Festival this year. I can't wait for next year; it'll definitely be different with my son being able to participate in some of the children's activities available (e.g., paint-in, glue-in, the Mad Hatter). So looking forward to it!

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