Editorial
Front Page - Friday, October 8, 2010
River City Roundabout
Culture Fest
Erica Tuggle
The 11th annual Culture Fest featured dancers of all varieties including a Metamorphosi Hellenistic dance troupe, the Dandash Dance Company from Zanzibar studios and the Chattanooga Pipe Band. Informational presentations, ethnic food and traditional cultural dress joined the already abundant offerings in local goods of the Chattanooga Market for this event.
- Erica Tuggle
The 11th annual Arts and Education Council Culture Fest was held Sunday Sept. 26 at the First Tennessee Pavilion in tandem with the Chattanooga Market.
This day to celebrate diversity through the arts is a Chattanooga favorite, always inspiring new ideas, crafts and perspectives through the events of the day. Performances on two stages, hands-on demonstrations like origami and calligraphy, children’s activities and cooking demonstrations were ongoing throughout the day. In addition to the offerings of the Chattanooga Market, 25 booths featuring international displays, information and food were added to the event.
These included booths to learn how to write your name in Chinese, a view of a Scottish man in his native attire complete with kilt or trying a sizzling hot, Greek gyro filled with lamb’s meat, onions and tomatoes on a floury pita.
The AEC Culture Fest cookbook was also on hand for purchase, featuring recipes from around the world as submitted by community members. A Southern recipe for Maw Maw cookies, inspired by my own late grandmother’s dessert, was my contribution to this book. The sales of this cookbook benefit the Arts and Education Council to help with their other programs like the Independent Film Series, the Conference on Southern Literature and the Back Row Film Series.
Aztec dancer, John Jara-millo, stayed a week after the Culture Fest program to conduct a residency at three local schools as part of AEC’s Culture Fest student outreach program. Through this, students learned about Aztec history and culture through the dances and drum rhythms, and put on their own performance at the end of the workshop.
Although there was much to see and learn through this event, the most striking displays were in the performances of Culture Fest. The City of Chattanooga Pipe Band played early on in the event, and wowed the crowd with heavy drumbeats to accompany the bagpipes being played by more men and women in kilts. The India Association performers brought many dancers to the event. They began with traditional dances, such as the welcome dance, featuring teen girls in traditional dress. Their performance was capped off by a boy of no more than five years old performing a “Bollywood” style dance with amazing agility and stage presence.
On the two stages featured at the event, there was also the Dandash Dance Company and students from the Zanzibar studio that displayed their belly-dancing skills and the Metamorphosi Hellenic Dance Group that performed a line dance in long white caps and dresses with aprons of red and gold.
The event had, and always has, too much talent to be named. Coupled with the fresh baked bread and pastries, homemade salsa, farm made goat cheese and other local products of the Chattanooga Market, this event is a good way for the local community to share with locals from other cultures.
Along with the flair of exotic food at Culture Fest, local delectable Good Dog was at the Market. Bringing their “Good Dog Go” cart full of the tasty kosher franks, it’s hard to resist going all-American with this edible. Visiting the Good Dog location on Frasier Avenue offers even more choice customizing your dog.
Veggie lovers will enjoy the Southern Slaw Dog. The Chicago Dog is always a good way to go with relish, jalapenos, onions and tomatoes packing to overflowing on this hot dog. Simplicity is always a safe bet with one of their chilidogs. But for me, the Caprese Dog is my absolute favorite with basil, cream cheese and tomato chunks all over this bun-encased treat.
The homemade art from soda cans turned into decorative flowers is all over the Good Dog shop and every table has a different pair of salt shakers on it from duos of porcelain owls or kissing couples of salt and pepper. If more flavor and seasoning is what you are looking for, the condiment bar will keep you busy. Rows of sauces including the absolutely to-die-for curry ketchup and the “Frite sauce” are all at your disposal. You’ll have to make a return visit to try them all though!
The Frite sauce brings up a good point. What is a Frite? Well, a Frite is the Good Dog version of a French fry. They are crispy, made from real potatoes and are a delight with the Frite sauce and a few shakes of the seasoning that Good Dog also offers.
Finish up this delightful meal with one of the freshly baked Good Dog cupcakes. I recommend the carrot cupcake that has walnuts mixed into the cake and an icing that is as close to perfect as I’ve ever tasted. You can have a Good Dog almost any day during the year, which will help to ease the pain of waiting for next year’s sure-to-be-spectacular Culture Fest No. 12.
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