Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 27, 1993 TAG: 9306270110
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CELESTE KATZ STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It rained on fans painted in Korea.
It splashed the tartan kilts of Scotland and dotted the colorful head scarves of Africa.
Indians wrung out their rupees and sheltered delicate saris.
Kung fu students and Kenyans headed for the shelter of their cars.
Gusts of wind lifted the sweet, powdery covering of Turkish delight into the air and ruffled maps of Russia.
"I was standing under the sun umbrella, and the rain went right through it," reported 8-year-old Canadian immigrant Lindsay Charity, shaking off the last drops as the skies cleared 20 minutes after the rain began.
A block up Kirk Avenue, Fred Sallade sat in a friend's car and watched the drops striking a tarp he'd thrown over his restored 1915 Model T Ford at the first hint of showers. He wasn't worried about the paint job, but "the acid rain hits the brass and leaves big red marks." He decided to wait for the streets to dry a little before heading out.
But that was only 20 minutes.
The first six hours of Local Color, Saturday's festival of cultures and nationalities represented in the Roanoke Valley, were the promised colorful blend of food, art, music and dance. More than a dozen ethnic groups set up displays of everything from maps of their nations to artifacts borrowed from private collections and museums to hand-painted T-shirts.
At the Russia table, the new red, white and blue flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States waved as immigrant Natasha Petersen told of Pskov, Roanoke's sister city in the former Soviet Union. "We've managed to send 2,000 pounds of medicine" since the relationship was established just more than a year ago, she said with pride.
Many came away from the Roanoke Valley Indian Association's table with temporary hand tattoos and certificates with their names written in Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi and several other Indian languages.
One member admitted the yoga demonstration had drawn a few blank stares from the audience, but the traditional dancing and music were better received. "I guess people do react to music more," he said.
Barry Hartman, a member of the Maclaine of Lochbuie clan, attracted attention in his Scottish attire - including a white-tipped feather in his hat, a kilt pin shaped like a saber and a small skeandubh (a utility knife) tucked into his sock.
Volunteer organizer Pearl Fu conducted the fashion show, decribing the beaded, butterfly-sleeved Filipino gowns, pineapple-fiber shirts, traditional Cossack costumes and Turkish wedding ensembles.
Chihamba, an African drumming and dance group from Charlottesville, had the audience repeating phrases in various African languages, holding hands and shouting to the skies.
On the same spot three hours later, David White's Shao Lin Dragons Demonstration Team pleased the crowd with China's martial arts. They finished their sparring matches of sword against staff and "snake" against "long fist" techniques just minutes before the brief downpour cut the festival an hour short.
By then, it seemed that after tending tables all day in 86-degree heat, many were ready to pack up the carvings, the scarves, the picture postcards and the strings of cowrie shells and head home.
"It was a good day in spite of the rain," said Ramon Cantor, a member of the Philippine American Association of the Roanoke Valley. "This is a good time to give back to the community, to share what we have."
by CNB