Folklife: rain or shine

By Jessica Balazic

Memorial Day weekend has been said to be the unofficial start of summer. Every year since 1971, the Northwest Folklife Festival has been active at Seattle Center to celebrate not only summer festivities but first and foremost the different cultures and ethnic groups that are present in the greater Seattle region. Like most festivals, Folklife started out modestly in size both for visitors, entertainers, and exhibitioners. It was originally made as an outreach program for the urbanized Seattle area to recognize the different ethnic groups that make up the community, but it is now known as a staple event of summer in Seattle.

For first timers, it may seem like a crazy place filled with old hippies, rebellious teens, environmental activists, and other liberals. But if you look past these obvious people in the crowd, you will see that Folklife is a festival that celebrates our region’s diverse populations and unite them through food, music, shopping, and performances. My conservative friends and readers may be completely opposed to this, but having a little bit of liberalism in your life can’t hurt every once in a while!

Every time I go to Folklife, the first thing I do is get a henna tattoo (also known as mehandi). As I entered the festival, I saw a henna tent right at the front of the ethnic booth strip. Henna is a temporary tattoo (made from the henna shrub) that is commonly used in some African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. I, however, got mine for vanity purposes, yet I do respect henna’s significance embedded in those cultures such as with wedding celebrations.

I like to think of Folklife as a huge Saturday market, minus all the fresh produce and flowers, because of all the different craft and item tents. Each tent is filled with appealing items that are akin to a particular culture. Folklife is the only outdoor place I have ever been to where I can buy an Indian sari, a piece of Polish pottery, and Tibetan bell chimes, just to name a few.

There were 14 different stages around the festival with varying lectures, music, and performances.  I had the privilege to watching the MossyBack Morris Men perform a traditional folk dance from the Cotswold area of England. I didn’t know what they were doing but their performance created a jovial atmosphere and the audience was very entertaining. For those who did not want to volunteer to play on stage, there were plenty of street performers that ranged from musicians to contortionist daredevils.

I’ve met many friends and strangers who go to Folklife solely because of the variety of food booths. You can buy anything from falafels to chicken satay to crepes. My goal is always to try something new each time I attend Folklife; this year I decided to try a southern meal from the Louisiana bayou which happened to be a fried food trio of catfish, hush puppies, and okra plus “healthy” coleslaw. My arteries are still recovering from its clogging deliciousness.

This year is the first year that I can legally drink, so I went with my friend and her parents to one of the three beer gardens. I leisurely sipped my hard apple cider while listening to very quirky maritime music from the closest stage, reveling in this newly acknowledged freedom of being 21.

I hope that my account of the Northwest Folklife Festival will inspire you all to find your inner flower child and participate in the festivities next year. It is a family fun event for people of any age, but I would highly recommend avoiding the clouded areas over the grass around the International Fountain with your kids around, if you know what I mean. Tie-dye is highly praised, but don’t worry, it’s not required!