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"Taste the World" at the 29th annual
event in Swope Park, August 15 - 17, 2008
The Ethnic Enrichment Commission of Kansas City, Missouri presents
the 29th Annual Ethnic Enrichment Festival in Swope Park August 15-17. The event, one of the
largest and longest-running of its kind, annually attracts more than 35,000 visitors.
Festival hours are: Friday, August 15, 6-10 pm; Saturday, August 16, noon-10 pm;
and Sunday, August 19, noon-6 pm. Adult admission is $3.00 and children 12 and under are
free. The festival is located at the Swope Park bandstand, near the park's main gate at Meyer
and Swope Parkway. Parking is free.
Eight new countries have been added to the 2007 festival -
Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Kenya, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand. - bringing the total number
of participating countries to 45. Each country hosts a booth that displays and sells authentic food,
artifacts and crafts from their respective country. The festival also has a Beer garden offering
domestic and imported beer selections from around the world.
An exciting improved addition to this year's festival is the
international Youth Booth featuring creative fun for children ages 6 to 60. Local arts organization,
Mosaic Brain, is coordinating the Youth Booth activities that will include creating Asian fans out
of recyclable materials, crafting flags of various countries and learning simple foreign language
words and phrases.
"We are excited to add the youth activity component to the
festival," says Festival manager Dick Horvatic. "The International Youth Booth enhances
our family-friendly environment and allows kids of all ages to have interactive experiences with the
various cultures."
Stage entertainment includes presentations by a different ethnic
group every 30 minutes and the traditional and majestic "Parade of Flags" that begins at 4
pm on Saturday afternoon. For a complete schedule of stage entertainment, please click this link: http://www.eeckc.org/docs/stage_schedule.pdf.
Sponsors of the 2008 festival include: Kansas City, Missouri Parks
and Recreation, Neighborhood Development Fund, Channel 41, KCP&L, KCUR, Sprint, Time Warner,
Kansas City, Missouri Water Department and the Missouri Arts Council.
Attend the 2008 Ethnic Enrichment Festival and feel the world beat
in the heart of America!
Contact information:
Dick Horvatic, Festival Manager
charpapa@comcast.net
816/810-7581 (cell)
Ethnic Enrichment Commission
816/513-7553 (office)
www.eeckc.org
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