FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Dave Amoroso • Ron Sonntag Public Relations
9406 N. 107th St. • Milwaukee, WI 53224
(414) 354-0200, ext. 108 • dave@rspr.com
MILWAUKEE, WIS. – James DeNomie, a member of the Chippewa Indian Nation of Lake Superior and host of the weekly radio program “Voices from the Circle,” has been named chairman of the 2009 Holiday Folk Fair International.
DeNomie, returning as chairman for a fourth consecutive year, has been an active member of the International Institute of Wisconsin, producers of Holiday Folk Fair, and a participant in Holiday Folk Fair International for 20 years. As a member of the Institute, he has presented school and childcare workshops and participated in other civic events. He has also participated in the Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival in Chiba, Japan, and delivered papers on tribal teaching at the International Science Fair in Canada and the International Children’s Folkways and Folklore Festival in Taiwan.
DeNomie serves as an American Indian cultural presenter and consultant to schools, organizations, and corporations, with a special focus on the Woodlands and Western Great Lakes areas. He has authored a booklet, “Indian Elders,” for the State of Wisconsin Department of Aging.
DeNomie’s radio program features traditional and contemporary Native American music, storytelling, poetry, and more. The program is broadcast WLUW-FM in Chicago and throughout the United States and Canada on Native Voice One: The Native American Radio Service Network. He also produces a radio program for American Indian Radio on Satellite.
The 66th annual Holiday Folk Fair International, America’s premiere multi-cultural festival, will be held Fri., Nov. 20 – Sun., Nov. 22, 2009, at the Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis.
Produced by the International Institute of Wisconsin, the event will provide attendees with an opportunity to “Celebrate the Weavings of Culture,” this year’s show theme. In addition, the event will recognize the International Year of Astronomy and the International Year of Natural Fibers.
The three-day event features an assortment of ethnic foods, music and dance performances, ethnic cultural displays, arts and crafts displays, and educational exhibits and demonstrations. Holiday Folk Fair International will host a United States Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony Sat., Nov. 21, at 10:30 a.m. and the eighth annual Around The World 5K Run/Walk Sun., Nov. 22, at 9 a.m.
New in 2009 will be a photo portrait display of the sky titled “The World at Night” a photo display recognizing the 35th Anniversary of the Resettlement of Refugees in Wisconsin, and a Peace Corps exhibit chronicling the 33-month stay of a Peace Corps volunteer through letters and photos.
The three-day event also features the All Nations Theater, with traditional music and dance by a variety of ethnic groups, with a Mexican dance group from Chicago serving as the stage’s featured attraction. The World Cafe will have traditional food dishes, the International Stage will have ethnic dances performed by young people, and the Music Pavilion offers a variety of music styles, including Darren Thompson, a Native American flutist.
Heritage Lane will offer unique traditions and customs through interactive exhibits, and the International Bazaar has cultural artifacts that create a unique shopping experience.
Hours on Fri., Nov. 20, are 2 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 21, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; and Sun., Nov. 22, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Admission is $8 in advance, and $10 at the door. Military personnel (with military ID) and children 5 and younger are admitted at no charge, with tickets for children ages 6-12 and seniors 62 and older $8 at the gate. A “Family Fun 4-Pack” of tickets for $28 is available at the International Institute of Wisconsin office and online at http://www.folkfair.org.
Advance tickets for $8 are available through more than 50 Pick ‘n Save stores in southeastern Wisconsin and other select retail outlets. The complete list of advance ticket locations is available at http://www.folkfair.org.
For more information on the 2008 Holiday Folk Fair International, call the International Institute of Wisconsin at 414-225-6225 or visit http://www.folkfair.org.
