Cultural festivals are my favorite public celebrations to attend.
I love learning more about the rich history of other countries and cultures within driving distance rather than going to a concert venue, farmer’s market, or similar event.
There are tons more to see and do at a festival – everything from food and storytelling demonstrations to games and a variety of merchant vendors.
Besides, cultural festivals usually feature some sort of music or other live entertainment on top of all of that anyway.
Plus, I also get a secondary level of excitement when I get to share my experiences with my friends and family.
I know I don’t do the entire scope of the event much justice, but I end up encouraging my loved ones to go with me next time or to try something new as much as I can.
Even if you ask my mom, she’ll mention that she thinks in a similar vein and has always reinforced growth and learning about other cultures since we were barely old enough to go to school.
In fact it goes hand-in-hand with my love for history and literature, too!
Still, last weekend I got to visit one local event and one in Houston – the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Church’s “Parish Jamaica” and Houston’s “Viet Culture Fest” respectively.
Now, I’ve attended the Jamaica off and on for several years and enjoy the experience every time.
Most of the memories come from my years in the newspaper
industry while providing event coverage and still, the quasi “block party” feeling is still there.
From the bright and colorful decorations to the children’s carnival games and food vendors, there is pretty much something for everyone. It also highlights the beauty and diversity here in our county, too.
Not to mention, it’s a bit more of a family atmosphere for me due to my familiarity with a lot of attendees and event volunteers.
And while it was my first time attending the Viet Culture Fest, I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year.
It was a different event scale in Houston, but that doesn’t make it any less welcoming.
I was lucky enough to have this experience with a friend and a few of her family members – which probably helped me have a lot less anxiety from the whole thing.
Or, maybe I’m getting to that point in my life where I can handle being in a convention hall mostly on my own with several hundred people milling around me?
It could have also been the freshly made boba tea energizing me with enough sugar that did the trick!
Either way, I got to learn a bit of Vietnamese folklore, try some food I couldn’t get locally, and see several other cultural demonstrations.
There were also art displays, interactive selfie stations, and dozens of informational booths to peruse.
Plus, I spent way too much money on legit Vietnamese coffee – but, I’m savoring my purchase slowly!
Outside of all of that, it was a fun-filled weekend that’s springboarding me forward to make it through the week Monday afternoon.
I know we have a lot of events coming up as September finally wraps up and autumn is on the horizon, but, I think I’d like to see more cultural festivals here, too.
I suppose waiting for the annual Day of the Dead Festival during the first weekend in November is going to be what holds me over until next year.
But, you can bet if there’s something new cropping up in the meantime – I’ll let you know.
