Document text
Diverse cultures converge for fair By BILL VARBLE An event that's bidding to become a regular on the Southern Oregon calendar runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Medford's Alba Park. The Multicultural Fair is being presented by the Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon, a nonprofit group comprising people from all over the Valley. It's the sixth-annual edition of the event, a local celebration of cultures from around the world represented in the Rogue Valley. On tap are music, activities and performers. "It's an incredible range," says John Statler of Medford, one of the event organizers. "We have Russians, Hawaiians, Native Americans, Japanese, Chinese, various European nationalities and religious groups such as the Baha'i and the St. Gabriel Orthodox Mission." American Indian drumming is to signal the opening of the event at 10 a.m. and accompany traditional dancing slated for later in the day, courtesy of the Rogue Valley Veterans Pow-Wow Committee. Kyle Johnson , a 13-year-old singer from Gold Hill, will be accompanied by a signer using American Sign Language. Murry Huggins of the Ashland School of Piping will play bagpipes. A Baha'i youth group will present songs and skits. Baile Folklorico Reflexion Latina, folk dancers from Medford schools, will present dances from different regions of Mexico. Master of ceremonies is Seth Adaida of Unity Productions. "Originally, the idea came from the need to remind people that our culture doesn't have one single root," Statler says. "It comes from many sources. We should honor them and appreciate the diversity we have." Displays will include fabrics from around the world, family heirlooms from China, cookbooks and cooking utensils from various countries and a special display of artifacts from the historic culture of Hawaii. Activities for children include mask making and face painting. There will be a play area for the smaller kids. Medford police officers will staff a jump house, an inflatable play house, for kids. Food will range from Mexican dishes to Chinese and Indian cooking and hot dogs. In addition to reminding people that their heritage involves diverse sources, Statler says the event is intended to signal the Association's goal of creating a multicultural center in Medford. "Our little pavilion is a start in that direction," he says. "We hope to have a more permanent presence." The big obstacle to that goal is the difficulty of finding an affordable building. The association has been meeting at the Phoenix Library. For information, call 482-6054. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA