World cultures converge in Downtown
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Visitors to T.R. Gallo Park enjoyed music, food and dance from all over the world at the Kingston Multicultural Festival Sunday afternoon.
The Festival’s music offerings included, Native American, Irish Indian, Ukrainian, Latin and hip hop music.
New for this year was the Mid-Hudson Chinese Community Association’s Women’s Chinese Dance Group.
“People like experiencing things they haven’t experienced before,” said Geoff Miller, Ulster County Historian and Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History Chairman.
Miller said the festival has grown to the point where he has to ask some performers to take a year off to let new performers take part.
Miller said the food offerings are always a hit as well.
They included Italian desserts like the fried-dough like rosettes, pizzelles and biscotti offered by the Ulster County Italian American Foundation, and food and dessert offerings from the New Progressive Baptist Church, the Ukranian National Women’s League of America Branch 95 and the Jewish Federation of Ulster County.
At The Mid-Hudson Japanese Community Association’s tent, Shinichi Honda of Newburgh, was demonstrating origami to visitors who wanted to give it a try.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to show Japanese culture,” Honda said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for all people to get together see their culture and handicrafts.”
Donna Coane, a member of the
Schaghticoke First Nations, was at the festival to perform songs in the traditional Mohawk, Cheyenne and Ojibwa Languages with Spirit of Thunderheart.
Coane, who was raised Mohawk, said many of the songs were passed down through family.
She showed off a large “pow wow” drum she performs on that is made of moose skin and maple wood.
She added that she loves how the festival brings so many different cultures together.
“We are different, but we have similarities in our dances, our songs.” Coane said. “Different cultures come together and share our cultures.”
She added that Spirit of Thunderheart’s performers were the first group of women drummers to take home a Native American Music Award.
“Drummers were traditionally men,” Coane said. “We have changed that.”