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Festival Showcases Dance, Music, Art, Food and Beverage August 12 and 13 at Seattle Center
SEATTLE – Seattle Center Festál hosts Seattle Arab Festival on Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Armory Food & Event Hall. This free, in-person event is the largest all-ages festival in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to Arab music, culture, and art.
This year’s festival will focus on inspiring Arabs who recently moved to the Pacific Northwest and have fears of being outside their homes. Programming will include, the Steamtac Academy, who will introduce attendees to their STEM education program, children’s activities, face painting and henna, and cultural booths from local vendors.
“Our vision for One Seattle is a city where we uplift and celebrate the many cultures that make our city special while also embracing the commonalities that bring us together,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “The Seattle Arab Festival is a great opportunity to bring the community together to honor and share the rich cultural traditions of a multitude of Arab nations.
“The festival is excited to have musical performances by Cairo Crowd, House of Tarab and Damascus Papers. Dabkeh dancers from Shamiat Dabkeh and Seattle Kids Dabkeh will also be performing for audiences. Taste Arab cuisine, including Lebanese food and desserts, and Egyptian food, baklava, and herbal iced beverages.
“Seattle Center is honored to host the Seattle Arab Festival, a celebration of rich cultural diversity that fosters understanding and unity in our vibrant community,” said Seattle Center Interim Director, Marshall Foster. “Embracing our differences and sharing in the beauty of Arab traditions, is what Festál is all about.”
For a full schedule of festival activities, visit the Seattle Center website.
About Seattle Arab Festival
Seattle Arab Festival is a non-profit cultural organization that aims for fostering a deeper understanding of the Arab world and cultivating an appreciation for its cultural richness and vibrancy through educational programs and community outreach events. Information on the festival is available at www.seattlearabfestival.org and www.seattlecenter.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál cultivates a deeper understanding of the cultures and ethnic diversity that contribute to the rich vibrancy of the Pacific Northwest. This unique series links together 24 free festivals presented on weekends from January to November, each with its own cultural focus, identity, and range of engaging activities. Seattle Center Festál is Where the World Gathers to celebrate the people, the places, the stories, and the traditions of the city’s communities. Seattle Center Festál is produced in partnership with 24 different community groups and supported by City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation, 4Culture, and KUOW. Festál is also part of the ArtsFund Cultural Partners Network.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports, and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs. In everything it does, Seattle Center’s mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. In 2023 Seattle Center is expanding its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle’s new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle’s downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center will support managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming. Thanks to the support of Official Seattle Center Partners – Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Premera Blue Cross, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank – Seattle Center is the #1 arts and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest with 12 million annual visitors, generating $1.864 billion in business activity and more than $631 million in labor income annually. www.seattlecenter.com
