Festál
A major cultural program of Seattle, these festivals aim to celebrate and connect the city to its varied ethnic and international community.
Festál began in 1996 and as of 2009[update] includes (all of those have been on hiatus on grounds of COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020): The Têt Festival in February is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration welcoming the return of spring.
Music and dance at the festival includes jazz, rap, gospel, hip-hop, R&B, and traditional African styles, all performed by northwest, national and international artists.
Irish Week Festival is centered on St. Patrick's Day in March, the celebration of Ireland's patron saint.
In Seattle, the Asia-Pacific festival celebrates the diversity of China, Philippines, Samoa, Laos, Japan, Pacific Islands and Cambodia.
The performance showcase includes lion dance, youth drill teams, martial arts, taiko drums and guest artists from out of state.
Live performances by top local and touring artists from Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Nigeria, Gambia and Guinea demonstrate the African roots of hip hop, jazz and rock.
The festival is a free, family-friendly event open to the public with the purpose of promoting and raising awareness of Francophone cultures and traditions from around the world to the residents of the Greater Seattle area.
During the one-day event, festival-goers will listen to live music, see theater and dance performances, taste international cuisine, learn from informative seminars and demonstrations, play games and enjoy a day full of fun activities.
Musical and dance performance, Rumi poetry, foods and libations, Persian New Year and holiday displays, an art exhibit, and puppet shows provide a glimpse into this rich and diverse culture.
The Artists use traditional instruments like Dra-nyen, piwang and unique combinations of flutes, horns, drums, bells and cymbals.
On this day, feasts are prepared, families hold memorial services at ancestral gravesites, and full-moon viewing takes place in the evening.
The festival includes folk songs, traditional and modern dance, martial arts like Tae Kwon Do, films and exhibits that depict a Korean cultural evolution over thousands of years.
Started in 1988, Festa Italiana is presented every September, and along with the Irish and Cherry Blossom Festivals, is one of the most highly attended.
Annual favorites are the grape stomp and bocce ball tournament - frequented by renowned local players every year.
In the beginning of October, CroatiaFest brings in internationally acclaimed folk dance ensembles, musicians and visiting arts.
Career fishermen present a workshop on mending nets, as other Croatians share their life experiences and culture.
During the second weekend of October, the Ustav festival showcases the ancient traditions of music and dance of the South Asian subcontinent.
South Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition rooted in Aztec culture, which celebrates life and the lives of those departed.
The November event symbolizes the end of the harvest, this is the time when Hmong relax, prepare special foods, and begin courtships.
The festival was originally conceived to raise awareness about the Hmong people, who aided the U.S. in the Vietnam War against the Vietcong.
This festival marks the Lunar New Year of this Southeast Asian highland culture originating in the mountains of China, Laos and Thailand.
Hmong people preserved their stories and language through intricate storytelling, embroidery, music and unusual communication techniques.
