What's in store at the Sister Cities Street Fair
Updated: Sep 5
Nordic sister cities lead the way as we "Celebrate the Signpost"
When the 20 cities of the Seattle Sister Cities Association come together for their first-ever street fair on Sept. 19 at Lake Union Park, our two Nordic sister city groups, Seattle-Bergen and Seattle Reykjavík, will be there to lead the way to celebrate the new Seattle Sister Cities Signpost.
The day will kick off at 11 AM, when City Councilmember Dan Strauss opens the program. Strauss represents the Ballard neighborhood, home to the National Nordic Museum. Recently, he made trips to both Bergen and Reykjavik and is a strong proponent of international engagement and the sister city program.
With the SBSCA's strong emphasis on musical exchange, it was natural for the organizing committee to reach out to our association to help put together the musical lineup for the day. An exciting mixture of instrumental and dance groups has been scheduled that reflects the scope of the Seattle Sister Cities' outreach around the world.
For the opening musical act, Seattle looked to our friends in Tacoma and the Kareem Kandi World Orchestra. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the musical group was founded by Pacific Northwest saxophonist and composer Kareem Kandi, with the mission to promote cultural exchanges through jazz performance and education. The ensemble provides free, all-ages concerts, workshops, and community programs throughout the Pacific Northwest and abroad. Their, upbeat, lively music will set the tone for this day of family-friendly fun.
At 1 PM, Mayor Katie Wilson will address the crowd and make the official proclamation for Seattle Sister Cities Day. She will be directly followed by Rachel Nesvig and Brandon Vance in "Crossing the North Sea." With a fusion of Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and traditional Scottish strings, they will take you to Scandinavia, the British Isles, and beyond. Their performance is generously being sponsored by the SBSCA. It will be Nordic musical magic you simply will not want to miss!
And that's not all. For those who want to get up and dance, the Seattle-Perugia Sister City Association is bringing you DJ Joy Sgobba, who will rock the stage with contemporary Italian dance music. As we travel around the globe for the afternoon, there will be colorful performances by the Eurasia Academy and Arts Ensemble, the Khmer Amarak Performing Arts, and : iDancer Traditional Chinese Dance Group.
These are only a few of the things to enjoy at the Seattle Sister Cities Street Fair. There will be games, exhibits, and arts and crafts to enjoy. Food trucks will offer ethnic-themed specialties for purchase. You will have the opportunity to enter to exciting door prizes and other giveaways. We look forward to seeing you there!
