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Houston International Festival
An African Oasis
News Release
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Downtown Houston will be transformed into an African oasis for the
Houston International Festival
starting this weekend. Music, art, crafts, food and people combine in the city's center for an annual bash that's pure Houston fun.
Stretching across 16 acres of parks and streets including
City Hall
,
Bagby Street
, and
Tranquility
and
Sam Houston Parks
, this year's outdoor event will feature six international entertainment-themed zones including
WaMu Out of Africa
,
International
,
Target Kids
,
Latin
,
Louisiana
and
Jamaica
presented by Jamaica Tourist Board.
The festivities get started with a free lunchtime concert on Friday, April 18 and the event is in full swing on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20 and the following weekend as well.
With its
Out of Africa: The Three Journeys
theme, iFest truly brings something unique to downtown.
Upper Sam Houston Park
will transform into one of the most stunning wonders of the event and serves as the heart of the WaMu Out of Africa Zone, which celebrates the cultures of Africa and African influence in the Americas. A 22-foot-tall replica of the incredible Beta Ghiorgis stone-carved church of Lalibela, carved into a mountain-like structure and pathway will allow festival-goers to experience the magnificent structure and view a photography exhibit and cultural information about Ethiopia.
The WaMu Out of Africa Zone also will feature Ethiopian weaving and painting with demonstrations by Ethiopian craftsmen. The Coffee Hut will allow visitors to observe Ethiopian coffee demonstrations and sample Ethiopian coffee. Be sure to check out the Gullah exhibit with interactive demonstrations of African and African-American culture including drum circles and dancing.
Festival hours are noon - 10 p.m. on Saturdays and noon - 8 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are available at the gate for $15 and advance discount tickets can be purchased
online
and at Houston area H-E-Bs.
Guidry News Service is headquartered in Midtown Houston.
at 4001 Fannin Street, Suite 4432, Houston, TX. 77004-4077
(409) 763 NEWS(6397) News@GuidryNews.com
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