17th Annual International Spring Festival

The Lansdale Public Library’s 17th Annual International Spring Festival will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at North Penn High School in Lansdale from 11:00 AM-5:00 PM. The festival is the Library’s biggest program and it celebrates ethnic and cultural heritages through performances, food and cultural displays. There are plenty of activities for children, including a passport program and a special crafts room where children can try new things like ethnic costumes, food, musical instruments and art projects. There is no charge for admission to this community sponsored event that includes 2 performance stages, but you might want to bring some money to purchase the luscious food sold from different cultures and the inspired crafts.

The performances are too good to miss. This year, the famous Voloshky’s Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will perform. This ensemble draws from a repertoire of over 45 traditional dances representing the various regions of Ukraine. From vibrant, acrobatic dances such as Hopak - called the most exciting folk dance in the world, to graceful, stylized romantic movements in Kokhanochka. There will be also be more international singers and dancers. For a more detailed listing of performances, go to the festival website www.internationalspringfestival.com.

Last year, over 4,500 people attended the festival which had 131 displays. Some of the countries that will be featured this year are: China, Ireland, Korea, Ukraine, Taiwan, Poland, Nepal, Jordan, Germany, Israel, Malaysia, Jamaica, Peru, India, Argentina, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Philippines, and the list keeps growing. The United States will be represented in a historic colonial and Native American display. If you would like to represent a country not listed here, please contact us.

A favorite part of the festival, what keeps people coming back year after year, is the large selection of ethnic food. Cuisine from Jamaica, Hungary, China, Middle East & Mediterranean, Thai, Peru, Philippines, and India will be available for purchase. Pizza and hotdogs will be available for the less adventuress. If you own an ethnic restaurant and would like to participate, call us at the number below.

The International Spring Festival is even more fun if you are a volunteer on the day of the event. If you can volunteer for just a few hours setting up (the night before the festival), assisting with children’s activities, staffing tables, or tearing down (immediately after festival) that would help tremendously. To get more information or to volunteer, contact Tom Meyer at Lansdale Public Library (215-362-2666) or email director@lansdalelibrary.org.

Would you like to Sponsor the event? Click here for details

Click here to view the list of participating countries in the parade of nations.