Last Year's Performances

2019 Featured Performers & Demonstrations

(scheduling still in progress, check back)

Stage Hosting & Management

Jessica Mason

Jessica Mason Host Diversity Stage

Armin Hasanagic

Armin Hasanagic Host Heritage Stage

Katelyn Mason Host World Stage

The Slants

The Slant’s music is a catchy combination of 80’s keyboard driven rock n’ roll with influences of traditional Asian music and melodies. They’ve been featured on Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Rolling Stone, and other media across 150 countries and headlined some of the largest festivals in North American and Asia. Don’t miss this bombastic, fun, and family-friendly performance!

Tuatha Dea

Tuatha Dea

Celtic, tribal, Gypsy rock with an Appalachian steampunk edge. Their rhythmic groove and interaction naturally inspires audience participation, a staple of their performances. They mesh the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland with their own bold blend of mainstream rock, mountain drumming and Appalachian blues to produce a truly unique sound with universal appeal!

Kuvebo!

Kuvebo!

Performing music and dance from West Africa, the group plays djembe/dundun along with flutes, xylophones, and additional percussion. Songs in West African languages with intricate drum breaks, masked dance, a stilt dancer and audience participation elements invite everyone to join the village drum and dance party!

Barrenhart

Barrenhart’s Celtic Bluegrass combines instrumental mastery with a deep knowledge of Appalachian & European traditional music. Its four musicians, originating from all parts of the globe, perform the traditional Celtic repertoire of Ireland, Scotland & England with a twist of Appalachian old time & bluegrass music woven into the fabric.

Flamenco Louisville

Dance, live singing and guitar representing the “puro” style.

Marcel Portilla Band

Marcel Portilla Band

Energetic show performance of several Latin styles of music with a blend of blues,funk.

Armin Hasanagic & Sasha Strunjas

Armin Hasanagic & Sasha Strunjas

A mix of traditional Bosnian sevdah songs as well as gypsy and folk music from the Balkin region. Instruments include guitar, prim, veillette and gryphone.

Midori-kai

Midori Kai

Our local Japanese community has been a part of the festival from the beginning. Each year representatives lead festival goers in a variety of traditional Japanese dances.

Rachana Pasupuleti

Rachana Pasupuleti was 8 years old when she began peforming at the Bowling Green International Festival in 2009. She has studied Bharatnatyam, a Classical form of Indian Dance since she was three years old.

Def Leprechaun

Def Leprechaun brings their rowdy Celtic folk and hilarious shenanigans.

Bhutanese Community

Nepali ethnic cultural dances from the local Bhutanese Community.

Cielito Lindo

Cielito Lindo

Local children and adults performing Jalisco dance and other traditional hispanic dances.

Burmese Community of Bowling Green

A Variety of traditional dances by 120 local representatives of the Burmese, Karen, Karenni, Kachin and Chin cultures from Burma.

Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa

Traditional Peruvian dances representing the bright, joyful and transcendent influence of all South-American highland countries.

Zomi Community Kentucky

20 members of the local Zomi community share their cultural dances.

Manisha Arora

Indian Bollywood fusion dance representing various dance forms of Indian culture

Kentucky Grapplers

Martial arts demonstrations

Arumaru Martial Arts

Taewondo forms, kicking, self-defense, weaponry and board breaking.

SLB Kuchipudi

Sreshta Meduri performs Kuchipudi, a dance-drama performance with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra. Like all major classical dances of India, it developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs.

Robin Duckett

Robin Duckett

A single performer in the sean nos style of Irish music, an old traditional style of singing without accompaniment that is a highly ornamental type of singing. These songs have been passed down orally from generation to generation

Omani Student Association

Omani Cultural dances

MSA Mizo Culture

Mizo cultural Dance, Zawlkhawsir, Chheihlam

Piñata Bursts

Visit the Piñata Bursts to burst a piñata every hour on the hour. Piñatas have been handmade by local artist Ronnie Jaggers of Chiseled Features Studio since 2001.

Opening Ceremony Honorees

T-Shirt Design by Ashley Scott

Ashley Scott is a WKU student and freelance graphic designer from Bowling Green, KY. She is studying sociology and graphic design and she graduates in May. She loved creating a t-shirt that celebrates the diversity of our city! See more of her work at www.instagram.com/ashleyscottdesigns and www.ashleyscottdeseigns.com

Art Print by Zach Preston

Zach Preston is a Bowling Green based graphic designer and student at Western Kentucky University. He has been honing his skills in printmaking and graphic design for the past several years with an innovative outlook, and a passion for constructing unique and cutting-edge designs

RefugeeBG Soccer Tournament Winners

RefugeBG connects Refugee populations with area churches and offers supportive services. In 2018 they held the first Refuge Bowling Green International Soccer Tournament. The annual event takes place in early September. Visit RefugeBG.com.

Stage Schedule

Diversity Stage [host: Jessica Mason/Ambush Sound]

  • 8:30-9:00 Opening Ceremony – Awards, recognition
  • 9:00-9:25 Cielito Lindo – Jalisco & Hispanic Dance
  • 9:27-10:37 Burmese Community of Bowling Green – Burmese Ethnic Dances
  • 10:47-11:42 Barrenhart – Celtic Bluegrass
  • 11:47-12:33 Flamenco Louisville – Authentic Flamenco Dance and Music
  • 12:34-12:47 (GRASS) Kentucky Grapplers – Martial Arts of Malaysia /Philippines
  • 12:48-1:48 The Slants – Keyboard Driven rock w/Asian Influences
  • 1:48-1:58 (GRASS) MSA Mizo Culture – Mizo Cultural Dance
  • 1:58-2:58 Kuvebo! – West African Drums & Dance
  • 3:00-3:10 (GRASS) Arumaru Martial Arts – Taekwondo Forms
  • 3:10-4:25 Marcel Portilla Band – Latin Styles with a Blend of Blues, Funk
  • 4:26-4:39 (GRASS) Kentucky Grapplers – Martial Arts of Malaysia & Philippines
  • 4:40-6:00 The Slants – Keyboard Driven Rock w/Asian Influences

Heritage Stage [host: Armin Hasanagic/Ambush Sound]

  • 9:00-9:30 Best of Africa – African Dance
  • 9:32-9:42 Dance Arts of Bowling Green – Dance Styles w/ Cultural Blends
  • 9:44-9:49 Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa – Traditional Peruvian Dance
  • 9:51-10:01 Sreshta Meduri – Classical Indian Kuchipudi
  • 10:03-10:08 Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa – Traditional Peruvian Dance
  • 10:08-10:18 (GRASS) MSA Mizo Culture – Mizo Cultural Dance
  • 10:18-11:10 Armin Hasanagic, Sasha Strunjas – Traditional & Bosnian Pop
  • 11:11-11:24 (GRASS)Kentucky Grapplers – Martial Arts of Malaysia /Philippines
  • 11:25-1:00 Tuatha Dea – Celtic, Tribal, Gypsy Rock
  • 1:10-1:30 Zomi Community Kentucky – Cultural Dance
  • 1:35-1:50 (GRASS) Arumaru Martial Arts – Taekwondo Forms
  • 1:50-2:35 Flamenco Louisville – Authentic Flamenco Dance and Music
  • 2:43-2:58 Rachana Pasupuleti – Classical Indian Bharatnatyam
  • 3:05-4:05 Def Leprechaun – Rowdy Irish Folk
  • 4:06-4:19 (GRASS) Arumaru Martial Arts– Taekwondo Forms
  • 4:20-6:00 Tuatha Dea – Celtic, Tribal, Gypsy Rock with an Appalachian Steampunk Edge

World Performance Area [Host Katelyn Mason/Ambush Sound] 

  • 9:00-9:20 Robin Duckett – Sean Nos Style of Irish Music
  • 9:25-9:40 Rachana Pasupuleti – Classical Indian Bharatnatyam
  • 9:50-10:40 Def Leprechaun – Rowdy Irish Folk
  • 10:45-10:55 Omani Student Association – Traditional Omani Dance
  • 10:57-11:02 Manisha Arora – Indian Bollywood Fusion
  • 11:05-11:35 Best of Africa – African Dance
  • 11:37-11:52 Bhutanese Community – Traditional Dance of Nepal
  • 11:55-12:20 Cielito Lindo – Jalisco & Hispanic Dance
  • 12:22-12:27 Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa – Peruvian Dance
  • 12:29-12:39 Sreshta Meduri – Classical Indian Kuchipudi
  • 12:41-12:46 Gabriela Guadalupe Vargas Berroa – Peruvian Dance
  • 12:48-12:58 Dance Arts of Bowling Green – Cultural Blending Dance
  • 1:00-2:15 Burmese Community of Bowling Green – Burmese Ethnic Dances
  • 2:20-2:40 Robin Duckett– Sean Nos Style of Irish Music
  • 2:45-2:55 Omani Student Association – Traditional Omani Dance
  • 2:57-3:07 Dance Arts of Bowling Green – Cultural Blending Dance
  • 3:09-3:24 Rachana Pasupuleti – Classical Indian Bharatnatyam
  • 3:26-3:51 Cielito Lindo – Jalisco & Hispanic Dance
  • 4:01-5:25 Kuvebo! – West African Drums & 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.