Festál facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Festál is a free series of yearly festivals held at Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington. These festivals celebrate different cultures from around the world. They help connect the city to its many diverse communities. Most Festál events feature exciting performances like dances, theater, and music. You can also find marketplaces, films, and other fun activities. These festivals have become a special gathering place for many ethnic groups in Seattle. People of all ages, especially younger ones, enjoy the dances and concerts.

Festál events vary in size. Some are smaller, while others, like the huge Northwest Folklife Festival, attract about 250,000 visitors! Typical Festál events draw between 5,000 and 30,000 people. Some festivals mostly attract people from the culture being celebrated, while others bring together a mix of everyone from the city.

Festál started in 1996. Since March 2020, some events have been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Festivals from Around the World!

Vietnam: Celebrating Têt!

The Têt Festival in February celebrates the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. It welcomes the return of spring! For the Vietnamese community, it's a time to think about the past year and get ready for the new one. People clean their homes, pay off debts, and get new clothes. The festival includes Vietnamese art, music, storytelling, delicious food, and a fashion show.

African American: Festival Sundiata

Festival Sundiata in February is one of Seattle Center's oldest festivals, starting in 1981. It's the biggest African American festival in the city. The festival is named after a powerful West African king who saved his people's storytellers. It showcases many different cultural traditions. You can hear music like jazz, rap, gospel, hip-hop, R&B, and traditional African styles. These are performed by artists from the Northwest and beyond. The festival also features Black Science Fiction Writers, cooking demonstrations, and fun activities for children.

Ireland: The Irish Week Festival

The Irish Week Festival happens in March, around St. Patrick's Day. This day celebrates Ireland's patron saint. The Seattle Irish Heritage Club organizes the festival. Seattle and Galway are sister cities, partly because their climates are similar. The festival includes a St. Patrick's Day parade from downtown Seattle to Seattle Center. The Irish festival weekend offers traditional Irish step dancing, music, films, and sing-alongs. You can even get free lessons in Gaelic!

Japan: Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival

In April, Seattle hosts the Cherry Blossom festival. This is the largest Japanese cultural event in the Pacific Northwest. It remembers the gift of 1,000 cherry trees given to Seattle in 1976 by Japan's Prime Minister Takeo Miki. These trees were planted in many Seattle parks.

Every year, cherry tree experts from Japan visit the festival. They teach people in Washington how to care for cherry trees. The festival aims to help people from Japan and the Northwest understand each other better. It also shares Japanese culture, arts, and the achievements of the Japanese-American community.

The festival features dance, music, colorful costumes, martial arts, and tea ceremonies. Kids can enjoy Japanese games, kite making, and trying on kimonos.

Asia-Pacific: Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration

May is known as Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In Seattle, the Asia-Pacific festival celebrates the many cultures of China, the Philippines, Samoa, Laos, Japan, the Pacific Islands, and Cambodia. This festival offers cultural arts, entertainment, and crafts. Performances include exciting lion dances, youth drill teams, martial arts, and powerful taiko drums.

West Africa: Spirit of West Africa

In May, the Spirit of West Africa Festival showcases traditions from six West African countries. You can see exhibits, listen to live music, watch dance performances, and hear amazing stories. Top artists from Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Nigeria, Gambia, and Guinea perform. They show how African roots influenced hip hop, jazz, and rock music. You can even join drum and dance workshops to learn about West African rhythms!

China: Chinese Culture and Arts Festival

Seattle has a large Chinese population, so the Chinese Culture and Arts Festival is very popular. In June, this festival gives a full look at Chinese culture. It features Chinese performing arts, visual art displays, and interactive activities.

Artists from the Pacific Northwest and China perform. You might see classical and folk dances, Chinese orchestra music, Wushu (martial arts), and Chinese music played on Western instruments.

Philippines: Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival

In June, Seattle celebrates Philippine culture. "Pagdiriwang" means "celebration" in Tagalog. The festival remembers Philippine independence from Spain in 1898. You can enjoy pageantry, music, dance, and rock bands. Other fun activities include delicious food, children's games, exhibits, and martial arts. This festival is known for its bright colors, beautiful fabrics, and amazing food.

France: French Fest

Madleen Gratien playing the violin in 2010

Seattle's French Fest celebrates French-speaking cultures. It happens every March to celebrate the Month of Francophonie. This free, family-friendly event shares Francophone cultures and traditions from all over the world with people in Seattle. During the one-day event, you can listen to live music, watch theater and dance, taste international foods, and enjoy many fun activities.

Iran: Iranian Festival

In June, the Iranian Festival is the main Iranian cultural event in the region. It offers music and dance, Rumi poetry, foods, and displays for Persian New Year. You can also see an art exhibit and puppet shows. This festival gives a peek into Iran's rich and diverse culture. It joined Festál in 2009 and is presented by the Iranian American Community Alliance.

Arab Middle East: Arab Festival

The Arab Festival is very important to Seattle, as the city has one of the largest Arab American communities in the United States. Started in 1999, the festival includes all 22 Arab countries. It features a souk (marketplace), traditional and modern music, an authentic Arab coffeehouse, and a fashion show. You can also learn about the rich culture and history of Arab peoples, one of the world's oldest civilizations. A new highlight is the Arabic rap concert, featuring groups like Sons of Hagar. This festival happens every other year and its dates might change based on Ramadan.

Brazil: BrasilFest

In August, BrasilFest features Brazilian drumbeats and the samba rhythms of Brazilian Folklore Day (August 22). The festival mixes traditional and modern Brazilian cultures. It's the only U.S. festival to show such a large amount of Brazilian performing arts. The music includes both traditional and new pieces, with roots in African and Portuguese styles. The festival also highlights capoeira, a unique Brazilian martial art and dance, along with costumes, food, and contemporary arts.

Tibet: TibetFest

In late August, Tibet comes alive at Seattle Center. The small Tibetan community in Seattle keeps their ancient cultural traditions alive. You can experience centuries-old stories, melodies, masks, and costumes. Highlights include a Tibetan bazaar, colorful prayer flags, performers, and delicious food.

Artists use traditional instruments like Dra-nyen and piwang. They also use unique combinations of flutes, horns, drums, bells, and cymbals.

Korea: Korean Cultural and Art Festival

The September Korean Festival is very important. There are strong connections in trade, culture, and family between Korea and Seattle. Every year, the festival happens on Ch'usok, or Harvest Festival Day. This is one of the biggest holidays in Korean culture.

On this day, families prepare feasts, visit ancestral graves, and watch the full moon in the evening. This Korean holiday is a time for giving thanks for a good harvest. Like on Lunar New Year's Day, families travel from all over to celebrate together.

The festival includes folk songs, traditional and modern dance, martial arts like Tae Kwon Do, films, and exhibits. A special part is the student art competition. Performers wear beautiful Korean traditional costumes with rich fabrics and designs.

Hawai`i: Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival

In September, the Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival celebrates the culture of Native Hawai`i. This festival joined Festál in 2009. Over 50,000 Hawaiian Islanders now live in Washington. They share their homeland's history through live performances of the hula and mele (chants). You can also see historical exhibits, films, Hawaiian crafts, keiki (children's) activities, and ono (delicious) food. The festival also has special demonstrations and lessons on traditional arts and crafts.

Mexico and Latin America: Fiestas Patrias

Held in September, Seattle Fiestas Patrias celebrates Mexican independence and the independence of other Latin American countries. The festival is decorated in Mexican colors to remember Mexico's independence day on September 15.

Artists from countries like Peru, Honduras, Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia perform. They offer a real look at cultures that share a language, food, and sounds, but have very different traditions. Favorites at the festival include mariachi music, salsa dance, and traditional costumes and food.

Italy: Festa Italiana

Festa Italiana started in 1988 and happens every September. Along with the Irish and Cherry Blossom Festivals, it's one of the most popular. The festival celebrates traditional Italian culture, but also includes modern Italian performances, art, cars, and food. Every year, you can see traditional Italian folk groups, Italian opera music, evening wine tasting, and puppet theater.

Italian celebrity chef Nick Stellino prepares Italian dishes for the audience. Popular annual events are the grape stomp and the bocce ball tournament. The Italian-American musical group the EuroRhythms also performs.

Croatia: CroatiaFest

In early October, CroatiaFest brings in famous folk dance groups, musicians, and visiting artists. This yearly festival, which started in 2003, is known for its back-to-back performances and chances to join in the music and dance. The 2007 festival theme was "Maritime Heritage of Croatians." Many Croatian immigrants were skilled sailors from the warm Adriatic Sea. When they came to the Pacific Northwest, they found work in the maritime industries. Fishermen share workshops on mending nets, and other Croatians share their life stories and culture.

South Asia: Utsav South Asian Performing Arts Festival

During the second weekend of October, the Utsav festival shows off the ancient music and dance traditions of the South Asian subcontinent. South Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Artists perform with instruments like the Indian lute and the beloved sitar. You can also hear vocalists and see yogic dance and drama with dancing bells and foot beats.

India alone has more than 1,652 different languages and dialects. South Asia has the largest Muslim population in the world and is where some of the world's biggest religions began: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

Turkey: TurkFest

Held on the third weekend of October, TurkFest is a festival of friendship. It celebrates the rich and diverse cultures found across the vast regions of Turkey. It links cultures from East and West, from the Hittites and Assyrians to the Hellenes, Romans, and Byzantines. Highlights include traditional folk dancing, a Turkish bazaar, classical and modern Turkish music, and a fashion show of many traditional costumes. Shadow puppetry is presented especially for children, and Turkish food is always a festival favorite.

Mexico: Día de Muertos

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition with roots in Aztec culture. It celebrates life and remembers those who have passed away. The festival focuses on decorating altars. Candlelight shines on altars covered with bright artwork and personal items. Local and visiting artists, both traditional and modern, represent countries across Latin America. A special feature is the street sandpainting. Traditionally, streets are decorated with sand paintings that are later swept away, showing how short our lives are.

Hmong: Hmong New Year Celebration

This festival is well-attended by both Hmong and non-Hmong people. It's the biggest Hmong New Year event in the Pacific Northwest. The November event marks the end of the harvest. This is a time for Hmong people to relax, prepare special foods, and begin courtships. Most Hmong people have been in the United States for less than 30 years, and Washington's Hmong population is growing.

The festival was created to help people learn about the Hmong people. They helped the U.S. in the Vietnam War. Many Hmong people were killed as a result, and most survivors moved to the U.S.

This festival celebrates the Lunar New Year of this Southeast Asian highland culture. It comes from the mountains of China, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong people kept their stories and language alive through detailed storytelling, embroidery, music, and unique ways of communicating. Highlights include traditional ball-tossing, dances, children's activities, a fashion show, and a Hmong band. Exhibits show the history of Hmong settlement in King County, along with traditional embroideries.

Other Festivals

A Naturalization ceremony on U.S. Independence Day
Northwest Folklife Festival, held in May