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The 2021 Virtual Festál series has amassed an outstanding collection of digital content featuring cultural performances, presentations, panels discussions, streaming videos, cooking demonstrations and more. Festival information and digital links are available at http://www.seattlecenter.com/events/featured-events/festal.
Seattle Center Festál highlights the history, arts, traditions, heritage and contemporary manifestations of ethnic and cultural communities in our region. Seattle Center partners with community organizations and their volunteers to present this unique series of 24 festivals from January/February to November each year. The series went almost entirely virtual in 2021, with only The Italian Festival, Sept. 25-26, and Dia de Muertos Seattle, Oct. 30-Nov. 7, presenting in-person components.
Festál producers created truly exceptional content in 2021, often highlighting community businesses, musicians, creators and leaders. Online programming provided opportunity for expanded presentations, deeper dives into local history and showcasing the cultural diversity of our regional community to the world. Festivals tapped into Seattle Center Studios at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall to produce music, dance, interviews and other content. Several of the festivals made use of the online platform to connect with acclaimed artists from other parts of the world. For example, Spirit of Africa broadcasted from Dakar, Senegal, and Diwali: Lights of India live streamed performances from India.
Virtual Festál 2021 included the following: Têt in Seattle–Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Feb. 5-22; Irish Festival Seattle, March 13 and 17; Seattle’s French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures, March 21; Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, April 9-11; Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, May 2; A Glimpse of China–Seattle Chinese Culture & Arts Festival, May 8; Spirit of Africa, May 15; Northwest Folklife Festival, May 28-31; Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, June 5-6; Seattle Iranian Festival, Saturday, June 26; Polish Festival Seattle, July 10; Festival Sundiata presents Black Arts Fest, July 17-18; Seattle Arab Festival, Aug. 12-15; BrasilFest, Aug. 22; Tibet Fest, Aug. 28; Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Sept. 12; Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias, Sept. 18-19; CroatiaFest, Oct. 2-3; Turkfest, Oct. 9; Indigenous People Festival, Oct. 12-15; Diwali: Lights of India, Oct. 23; Dia de Muertos Festival Seattle, Oct. 31 (virtual) and Hmong New Year Celebration, Nov. 6.
Seattle Center Festál highlights the culturally rich communities who help shape the character and course of our region. The series provides a forum for cultural groups to come together and share their stories with the greater community. The series began in 1997 to offer a central place for festivals to invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression.
Streaming is free of charge. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal or call 206-684-7200.
About Seattle Center Festál:
Seattle Center Festál, Where the World Gathers, presents 24 ethnic cultural festivals on weekends throughout the year, virtually in 2021, to connect people in ways that build understanding, dispel stereotypes and generate pride among the generations who participate in these shared experiences. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, T-Mobile, 4Culture, the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.
