Seattle Center Festál celebrates the sunnier, warmer weekends of June with lively arts, entertainment, children’s activities and more to illuminate three dynamic and deeply-rooted cultures:
- Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, in Seattle Center Armory and Mural Amphitheatre.
- Festival Sundiata presents Black Arts Fest, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday, June 14, and 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday, June 15, in the Armory, Mural Amphitheatre and Fisher Rooftop.
- Iranian Festival, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, June 28, in Seattle Center Armory.
2014 marks 28th consecutive year for Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival at Seattle Center. The theme for this year, “The Sarimonok Soars,” refers to a mythical bird of the southern Philippines that symbolizes wealth, culture and royalty. Along with foods and children’s activities, the festival presents several music and dance performances, spotlighting the rich sounds of the brass gong-like instrument called the Kulintang.
Festival Sundiata presents Black Arts Fest, the longest running African American cultural festival in the Pacific Northwest, brings over 30 years of African-American cultural arts to the Seattle area. Named in honor of Sundiata Keita, the historic and legendary Mansa (King of Kings) of the Mali Empire, this festival showcases local and regional entertainment, visual arts exhibits and retail and food merchants all in support of Sundiata’s year-round mission to promote, encourage and support interest in contemporary African-American heritage.
The third Festál event of the month, Iranian Festival, presents live performances, visual arts, foods, games and a marketplace. Now in its 8th year, Iranian Festival invites visitors to partake in a traditional tea house, join in an evening dance party and check out the popular Iranian Americans Got Talent Show. The Iranian American Community Alliance (IACA) strives to show the beauty of Iranian culture to our communities, and to build a bridge between the people, educators, businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, produced by Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington in partnership with Seattle Center. For a full event schedule, visit www.fchsw-pagdiriwang.org.
Festival Sundiata presents Black Arts Fest, produced by Sundiata African-American Cultural Association in partnership with Seattle Center, www.festivalsundiata.org.
Iranian Festival, presented by the Iranian American Community Alliance in partnership with Seattle Center, www.iaca-seattle.org.
For more information on this cultural series and other Seattle Center public programming, click on Seattle Center or call 206-684-7200.
