Pati Kele by David Hamilton Hall 2016
Pati Kele by David Hamilton Hall 2016

The 29th annual Bowling Green International Festival will take place Saturday, September 29 in Circus Square Park from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Festival is a celebration of cultural diversity featuring three stages of music, dance and demonstrations. Various booths dot the park offering authentic foreign foods, cultural displays, free activities and an international bazaar. Children’s edu-tainment activities abound, including piñata bursts every hour and a free “make and take” craft area.  Booth registrations are still coming in but so far include: 29 Cultural Displays/Activities,  35 authentic foreign food booths and 8 American food booths, 20 merchandise booths and 13 special interest booths which largely represent our sponsors.

This year the Festival introduces #bgintfestscavengerhunt, a photo scavenger hunt with a $200 1st Place prize. Participants post photos on their social media of foreign culture items they find at booths and performances.  For information visit [https://www.bginternationalfest.com/scavenger-hunt/](https://www.bginternationalfest.com/scavenger-hunt/)

The People’s Choice Awards voting for BGIF Poster Contest entries is currently underway on Facebook ([www.facebook.com/bginternationalfest](https://www.facebook.com/bginternationalfest)) but ends at midnight September 24. People can choose their favorite in each category by liking the image of their choice September 17 – 24.  Each year the Warren County attorney’s office organizes the contest in which students create art depicting what The Festival means to them.

Our latest T-shirts, designed by Darius Lightfoot, a WKU alumni will be available for sale at the Merchandise Booth near the fountain as will the Festival’s Restaurant Discount Card which costs $5 and saves the purchaser 10% year-round at 29 local restaurants. Entries for next year’s T-shirt design are now being accepted.

The Bowling Green International Festival continues to accept applications for vendors, performers and volunteers. To find information about any type of participation visit the website at www.BGInternationalFest.com or call 270-779-3830. Admission coupons are also available on the homepage of our website. Advanced tickets can be purchased at Mellow Matt’s Music & More.

Performing artists this year include dancers from around the worlds and  several bands from traditional to modern melting pot genres. The stage schedule and a brief description of each is as follows:

Stage Schedule

Diversity Stage [host: Jessica Mason/Ambush Sound]
• 8:45 – 9:00 Opening Ceremony – Poster Contest Awards, Recognitions, Welcome.
• 9:10 – 10:40 Roux du Bayou Cajun band – Traditional Cajun and Zydeco
• 10:50 – 11:50 Def Leprechaun – Rowdy Irish Folk
• 11:55 – 12:45 Cheryl Pan – Classic Chinese Dances
• 12:50 – 1:50 Kuvebo! – West African Drums & Dance
• 1:55 – 2:10 Rachana Pasupuleti – Classical Indian Bharatnatyam
• 2:12 – 2:32 Best of Africa – African Dance
• 2:35 – 2:42 Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa – Traditional Peruvian Dance
• 2:45 – 3:00 Dance Arts of Bowling Green – High-Energy Russian Folklore Dances
• 3:05 – 3:12 Empowered Latina Women – HOPE Organization– Modern Salsa, Reggaeton & Cumbia
• 3:20 – 3:55 Academy of Flamenco Arts – Andalusian Flamenco
• 4:00 – 4:20 Cielito Lindo – Jalisco & Hispanic Dance
• 4:30 – 6:00 Tuatha Dea – Celtic, Tribal, Gypsy Rock with an Appalachian Steampunk Edge

Heritage Stage [host: Armin Hasanagic/Ambush Sound]
• 9:00 – 9:20 Kentucky Grapplers – Martial Arts of Malaysia & Philippines
• 9:25 – 9:40 Dance Arts of Bowling Green– High-Energy Russian Folklore Dances
• 9:50 – 10:10 Robin Duckett – Sean Nos Style of Irish Music
• 10:25 – 11:25 Tuatha Dea– Celtic, Tribal, Gypsy Rock with an Appalachian Steampunk Edge
• 11:35 – 12:35 Armin Hasanagic, Sasha Strunjas – Bosnian Sevdah Songs, Gypsy & Folk from the Balkins
• 12:45 – 1:00 Rachana Pasupuleti– Classical Indian Bharatnatyam
• 1:05 – 1:20 Pouncing Panthers – Philippines Tikling Dance
• 1:25 – 1:45 Best of Africa – African Dance
• 1:50 – 2:00 SLB Kuchipudi – Classical Indian Kuchipudi
• 2:05 – 2:20 Bhutanese community – Nepali Cultural Dance
• 2:25 – 3:45 Burmese Community of Bowling Green – Dances from 8 Burmese Ethnic Groups: Burmese, Karen, Karenni, Zomi (Chin), Mon, Rakhane, Kachin & Shan.
• 3:55 – 4:50 San Rafael Band – Latin Jazz

• 4:55 – 5:02 Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa– Traditional Peruvian Dance
• 5:04 – 5:14 Shyama Iyer – Indian Classical Dance
• 5:20 – 6:00 Adil Masters – Iraqi Heritage Songs

World Performance Area [Host Katelyn Mason/Ambush Sound] 
• 9:00 – 10:20 Burmese Community of Bowling Green – Dances from 8 Burmese Ethnic Groups: Burmese, Karen, Karenni, Zomi (Chin), Mon, Rakhane, Kachin & Shan.
• 10:25 – 10:40 Pouncing Panthers – Philippines Tikling Dance
• 10:45 – 11:00 Rachana Pasupuleti – Classical Indian Bharatnatyam
• 11:10 – 12:20 Barrenhart – Celtic Bluegrass
• 12:30 – 12:40 SLB Kuchipudi– Classical Indian Kuchipudi
• 12:50 – 1:10 Cielito Lindo – Jalisco & Hispanic Dance
• 1:20 – 1:55 Academy of Flamenco Arts – Andalusian Flamenco
• 2:05 – 3:05 Def Leprechaun – Rowdy Irish Folk
• 3:15 – 4:15 Kuvebo!West African Drums & Dance
• 4:25 – 4:40 Dance Arts of Bowling Green– High-Energy Russian Folklore Dances
• 4:45 – 4:52 Empowered Latina Women – HOPE Organization – Modern Salsa, Reggaeton & Cumbia
• 4:55 – 5:15 Best of Africa – African Dance
• 5:18 – 5:25 Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa– Traditional Peruvian Dance
• 5:30 – 6:00 Midori Kai – Japanese Bon Dance

Piñata Bursts 
Children are invited to bust handmade pinatas by Ronnie Jaggers of Chiseled Features Studios every hour on the hour.

For more information visit [bginternationalfest.com](https://bginternationalfest.com). To schedule an interview contact: Hannah Barahona, Board Member: 270-535-2859 or hannah.barahona@gmail.com Kim Mason, Exec. Director: director@bginternationalfest.com

For notifications, subscribe to any of our informational email lists [here](https://www.bginternationalfest.com/notifications/). Lists receive 1-4 emails per year.</a> To be removed, click unsubscribe below.

The Bowling Green International Festival continues to accept applications for vendors, performers and volunteers. To find information about any type of participation visit the website at www.BGInternationalFest.com or call 270-779-3830. Admission coupons are also available on the homepage of our website. Advanced tickets can be purchased at Mellow Matt’s Music & More.