16
April 2016
Neighbors
Festival-goers pin a globe to mark the countries of their birth in this activity. Submitted photos
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These two Indian youngsters were participating in a dance at the festival last year.
Global Village Festival continues its message of unity BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Gilbert Global Village Festival, coming up Saturday, April 9, at the Civic Center Campus, is growing a Valleywide following. In its 12th year, the annual event organized by the Town of Gilbert to showcase the cultures of the world with food, entertainment, games, education and costumes is increasingly attracting performers from around the Valley and not just from Gilbert or the Southeast Valley. To accommodate them, organizers are adding a fourth stage. Last year, an estimated crowd of more than 3,000 attended and the town is expecting even more to join in this time. “Gilbert’s residents are coming, but I think we’re seeing people from the surrounding communities coming out as well, because we have performing groups from all over,” said Mike Leppert, recreation coordinator in the Town. “A lot of those people [entertainers] have followers there, too.” Folkloric groups, Chinese dragon dancers, an African drum band and dance troupes from the South Pacific are just a handful of the groups that will sing, dance and play instruments on the Global Village stage. Among the newcomers to perform are the Phoenix Afrobeats Orchestra, a 15-member string band with a lively repertoire. At 2.30 p.m. Mayor John Lewis will lead the parade of nations: about 40 local elementary school children, dressed in costumes of the world and holding the flags of their respective countries, will parade around the grounds. This will be the last time that the
Scottish bagpipers parade as part of the festivities.
mayor would play this role, as he is leaving the position about six months before his term ends to lead the East Valley Partnership, an economic development agency in Mesa. “Seeing the smiles of our local Gilbert youth dressed in outfits that represent various countries provides the emotional assurance that while we may have cultural differences between the nations of the world, the smile of a child brings us together as one unified community,” Lewis said. Amid the applause and the entertainment, the festival provides a platform to bring diverse people together and create greater understanding and friendship. “It seems that the more one interacts and comes to understand someone who is different, the more that person comes to realize how much they have in common and how similar they really are,” Lewis said.
He said we could measure the success of the festival by the thousands who participate each year, the need to add an additional stage because more cultural groups want to entertain and the ability to sustain the festival for 12 years and increase its sponsors each year. Founding member Gayle Disch volunteers to the day. “What we wanted to do 12 years ago, was to make sure that our community was being positive about different cultures and religions and human relations issues. And I think that Global Village has really added to that and helped with the direction in the community,” she said. Gilbert Global Village Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Gilbert Civic Center North Campus on Gilbert and Warner roads. Free admission and parking.
A Native Indian dancer shows a colorful costume and folklore.
An African drummer pounds his message.