Festival To Extol Cultures

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley residents will perform dances from their ancestral countries and serve food ranging from Filipino egg rolls to All-American hot dogs at the eighth annual International Heritage Festival. Organized by the Antelope Valley International Heritage Committee and co-sponsored by the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, the festival will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Lancaster City Park, 43011 10th St. W.

"It really is a great opportunity for us to allow our residents to step forward with pride to show, really, what their roots are all about and it really does underline the fact that we truly are all Americans," Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said.

The festival will feature entertainment and food from various ethnic groups. Activities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a colorful parade of people dressed in the costumes of nations where their ancestors lived.

Last year's festival drew 1,000 people.

Participants in Saturday's festival gave a preview Thursday for local news media.

Samples of ethnic food were set out at Lancaster City Park's Stanley Kleiner Activity Center. Felicia Willes performed a Polynesian dance. American Indians Gloria Baker and Kika Blake, who are from the Yaqui tribe, and Juanita LaChasse from the Cour D'Alene tribe, performed a friendship dance and invited city officials and organizers to join in.

Organizations expected to participate include the Antelope Valley Chinese American Association, Antelope Valley Korean American Association, Antelope Valley Intertribal Council, Bahai Faith of Palmdale, Buklod Ng Pagkakaisa, High Desert Japanese American League, Filipino American Association of Antelope Valley, Antelope Valley Allied Arts Association, Forum, Antelope Valley Black Heritage Council, Antelope Valley Women's Cultural Association, Edwards Air Force Base Black Employment Program, Antelope Valley College Outreach, Sunrise HIV/Aids Coalition, Latinos for Social Justice and Democratic Club of the High Desert.

The event is open to the public with free admission. Food samples will also be free.

For more information call festival Chairman Juan Blanco at (661) 947-9813, Lancaster parks, recreation and arts department at (661) 723-6072 or Palmdale parks and recreation department at (661) 267- 5611.

Publication date: 2002-09-13

©Copyright 2002, Los Angles Daily News