Brunswick Intercultural Festival

BOLIVIA -- Looking to add a little more flare and culture to your life this weekend? If so, you are just in time for the 13th annual Brunswick County Intercultural Festival starting Friday, Sept. 29.

The festival that started in 2004 as a small event to educate people about different cultures has grown: This year’s festival will represent 22 different cultures and countries.

Mari-Lou Wong-Chong, now in her fifth year as festival chair, is more excited about this year than ever before as 2017 marks the first year that the event will extend to two days of festivities.

“It’s certainly grown through the years and we are delighted that right here in Brunswick County, there will be so many countries represented,” she said.

Wong-Chong said the festival is especially important for children as a way to expose them to other cultures outside of their daily life.

Festival organizers have the event set up in a way that attendees can tour the “International Village” and learn important facts, sample food and experience the culture of an area and then move to the next country. The International Village will have cultures represented by natives of Poland, the Philippines, Spain and India, as well as American cultures such as Native American and the Gullah people.

Last year’s Intercultural Festival drew an estimated 2,000 visitors and Wong-Chong is anticipating even more this year. The 2017 festival theme is "Bringing the World to Brunswick County."

Wong-Chong says it's an event that could expand people's horizons.

“Many times people who don’t have an opportunity to travel never get to see the broader world," she said. "This event gives someone a chance to expand their perspective and see and touch things that are different than their own world.”

Another way that the festival helps people is through a scholarship. Proceeds from the festival will be awarded to a Brunswick Community College student who would like to study abroad.

Wong-Chong was born in the Philippines and came to the United States as a college exchange student. She says the opportunity to be an American is a wonderful thing. She believes it is important for everyone to keep learning as they grow older and hopes the festival will offer something new and different to festival-goers.

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What: 13th annual Brunswick County Intercultural Festival. Admission is free.

When: Sept. 29-30. At 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, the African American Dance Ensemble will perform. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, thee will be the International Village tour, food tasting, a children’s workshop, multicultural performances and much more.

Where: Odell Williamson Auditorium, Brunswick Community College, 50 College Road, Bolivia.

More info: www.bcifestival.org or like us on Facebook

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