The Third Annual Marshfield Cultural Fair, A World of Neighbors kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, with the Ballet Folklorico Mexico, in the Helen Connor Laird Theatre. Ballet Folklorico Mexico explores, through colorful and vibrant dance, the traditional beliefs, legends, and customs of Mexican culture. Tickets are $5.00 and available at the UW Box Office – 715 389-6534.

Event on Saturday, Feb. 25, will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at UW-Marshfield/Wood County. The campus will be transformed into a global village featuring international foods, performances, presentations and goods for purchase. Admission is free. The schedule includes:

10-11 a.m. - Out of the Woods performs Celtic folk music
11-11:30 - The Central Wisconsin Czech/Slovak Singers take the stage
11:30-Noon - Wassa Kunba Drumming Ensemble thrill fair goers with African rhythms
12:00-12:30 - Mary Ann Yunger delights with International Accordion Tunes
12:30-1p.m. - The Tribal Belly Dancing group, Shuvani, shake things up
1-1:30 - Vernon Smazel serenades the crowd with European Button Box Accordion music
1:30-2 - Mexican Traditional Dances transport us south of the border
2-2:30 - Popular Dances of India bring the exotic to the Midwest
2:30-3 - Vernon Smazel gives an encore performance
3-3:30 - Mexican Traditional Dances once again take the stage
3:30-4 - The Marshfield Drumming Circle will bring the day’s events to a close

A children’s craft area will allow kids of all ages to explore hands-on a variety of cultures. Additionally, this year’s fair will once again feature the extremely popular passport program. Children obtain a passport at the fair, and as they travel to various booths representing diverse nations and cultures, they will fill their books with stamps.

The fair also includes presentations discussing topics such as: Niger, Poland, Mexican Immigration, Africa, Feng Shui, the Amish. Headlining these presentations will be John de Graaf at 11 a.m. De Graaf, an alumna of UW-Superior, is a producer of public television documentaries including the award winning series, Affluenza, which was later made into the same-titled book, which de Graaf co-authored. Affluenza, according to de Graaf, is "a painful, contagious, socially-transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more." De Graaf’s presentation promises to provide insight and allow us all to examine the phenomenon of American society’s excessive consumption and its impact on the rest of the world.

A World of Neighbors: The Marshfield Cultural Fair is a project of the Marshfield Cultural Fair Association (MCFA) of Marshfield, Wisconsin and its partners: the University of Wisconsin- Marshfield/Wood County Office of Continuing Education, Marshfield Social Justice and The Chestnut Avenue Center for the Arts. MCFA is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the Marshfield Area Chamber Foundation.

The goals of the Marshfield Cultural Fair are to:

Increase awareness and understanding of, and pride in, the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community.
Create an atmosphere of neighborly celebration.
Educate the community about the international/ethnic/cultural connections of its individuals, businesses and organizations.
Bring ethnic minorities into the community mainstream.

Please visit www.marshfieldculturalfair.com or phone 715-387-1549 for further information.

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2000 W. 5th St., Marshfield, WI 54449 l 715-389-6530