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A cultural family event held every year at the Vittoriosa Marina, this year's Vittoriosafest kicks off on July 28. The event will include a children's area, Maltese artisan stands, local produce, wine stands, traditional food and a beer garden. A number of displays will be mounted, including one of vintage cars by the Old Motors Club. There will also be gymnastics and martial arts demonstrations and performances by various artistes.

Vittoriosafest will be held between July 28-30, heralding the feast of St Lawrence that starts on July 31. To minimise the parking problem, boats will run between Senglea and Vittoriosa throughout the three days of the event, entrance to which is free. The organisers will also hold a fireworks show, known as La Notte Di San Lorenzo, on August 9 at 9.45 p.m. near the Vittoriosa Regatta Club at Kalkara Creek.

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Singapore is cementing its title as the events capital of the world this summer with a wide range of events, which will see Singapore celebrate its unique food, fauna and cultural heritage, as well as play host to the world’s first ever Youth Olympic Games.

The events kick-off mid-July with the launch the Singapore Garden Festival and the Singapore Food Festival, which will transform the buzzing metropolis into a food and nature lovers’ paradise ahead of Singapore’s Ramadan celebrations that commence in early August.

In mid-August Singapore will launch the world’s first-ever Youth Olympic Games, with more than 5,000 young athletes and officials from around the world gathering in the city-state to take part in 26 sports, 201 events and a cultural education programme.

“Summer is always an exciting time to be in Singapore, but this year’s range of cultural and sporting events will make 2010 the most multi-faceted summer to date. July and August present the perfect time for Middle East visitors to plan a summer holiday to Singapore, when travellers can enjoy a wide range of exquisite food and nature festivities, as well as take part in Singapore’s Ramadan traditions,” said Jason Ong, Area Director for Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board (STB).     

“Singapore is honoured to play host to the world’s first Youth Olympic Games, which will be a stunning global event, with young athletes from around the world celebrating the Olympic sporting spirit in Singapore,” Ong added  

The Singapore Garden Festival and the Singapore Food Festival start on July 15 and 16, respectively, offering visitors a 10-day chance to experience an international garden and flora extravaganza celebrating Singapore’s ‘City in a Garden’ status, while at the same time being able to indulge in Singapore’s famed cuisine which this year highlights the influence of Chinese cooking.
 
August 6 sees the start of Singapore’s Eid celebrations, known as Hari Raya, to mark the month-long fasting period of Ramadan. Bazaars spring up along the traditional Kampong Glam and Geylang Serai areas, with beautiful street decorations, as mosques engage in the nightly Tarawih prayers and pre-dawn Qiyam prayers for the city-state’s Muslim inhabitants, which account for 15 percent of the population. Special packages will be made available through the Gulf for visitors to visit Singapore during this holy month.

Abid Sheikh could not have imagined an event like Saturday’s Culture Fest taking place in Saint John when the Uganda native immigrated here some 40 years ago.Back in 1972, Sheikh and his brother couldn’t even find the staple spices of his homeland in Port City stores or supermarkets.

But Saturday, standing among vendors from numerous ethnic backgrounds participating in the Saint John 225 Culture Fest at Rockwood Park, Sheikh reflected on just how much has changed. “Saint John (in the 70s) was, sadly, a very closed and conservative city,”Sheikh said.

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We Irish are world leaders and standard-setters in traditional music. In any other sector.

This uniquely Irish art form would be recognised as a definitive strategic and competitive advantage  why not here, asks PHILIP KING

THERE WAS a time, and it’s not so long ago, when the traditional arts were not a consideration.

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The Olympic Games may be over three years away but Londoners are already celebrating and opening their arms to the world with the Cultural Olympiad, a series of events that showcase our unique internationalism and cultural diversity.

The 2012 Games are a tremendous opportunity for London to display why it is the world leader not only in finance but in culture and creative industries. The Cultural Olympiad has already hosted a variety of events and students are enjoying some of the most creative, diverse and colourful cultural events ever seen at London’s famous landmarks, in its streets, squares and parks.

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On July 2, 1935, a production of "Twelfth Night" was staged within the leftover retaining walls of a once-dome-covered Chautauqua hall in Ashland, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival was born. If you go to Ashland this weekend to celebrate the festival's 75th anniversary weekend, you can see a current (and quite charming) "Twelfth Night." But these days, the shows on the grand open-air Elizabethan Stage that now occupies the old Chautauqua site open in June.

And the complex festival schedule calls for "The Merchant of Venice" -- the other play that was presented at the first festival -- to be performed on July 2. The direct echo across the decades is lost. But the anniversary will be marked by something even more fitting for a theater company dedicated to balancing respect for tradition with a forward-thinking spirit.

Friday is the official opening performance of "American Night," the first production to result from OSF's ambitious, 10-year commissioning project, "American Revolutions: the United States History Cycle." Written by Richard Montoya of the Chicano theater troupe Culture Clash, the play is subtitled "The Ballad of Juan José," and it tells a fantastic tale of one Mexican immigrant's journey to learn the history of his adopted country and pass the test for American citizenship.

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Arequipa is becoming the primary cultural capital city of the south.  The events that took place during the week of September 10th to16th are proof that the “white city” is capable of organizing and hosting world-class cultural events.

During September 10th to 16th, close to 20,000 national and international visitors came to Arequipa, primarily to participate in the 28th Mining Convention.

But for the Arequipeños and for the executives that were able to escape from their networking dinners and panel discussions, there were at least three cultural events that were worth attending.

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Rolex is a brand which is popular not only for its watches, but also for its endeavor in nurturing different art forms.

Over the years, it has associated itself with some major cultural events, which provide a platform for the aspirants.

And also acknowledge an individual's expertise in his/her field. Some of the great cultural events sponsored by Rolex include the following:
Verbier Festival.

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The Arts Council of New Orleans is bringing 23 local artists and more than 1,000 pieces of their artwork packed into a 22-foot truck to Norfolk, Virginia for the 21st Annual Bayou Boogaloo and Cajun Food Festival June 25 - 27.

The Bayou Boogaloo and Cajun Food Festival is Norfolk's annual love-fest with New Orleans' special spirit and unique bayou culture.

The result of many months of planning and coordinating between the Arts Council of New Orleans and Norfolk Festevents.

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The Lake Sentani Festival kicked off Saturday, luring thousands of tourists to Jayapura regency in Papua to enjoy a showcase of the province’s traditional arts and culture. Clad in traditional attire, Papuans, some of who arrived at the annual festival in traditional boats, danced and sang accompanied by traditional Papuan instruments.

Jayapura Regent Habel Melkias Suwae said this was the third running of the festival, which was expected to be repeated in coming years. The festival will run until June 23. He said he hope the festival, which was opened by Tourism and Culture Ministry official Surya Yuga, would help improve the local economy and attract both tourists and investors.

“The Lake Sentani Festival aims to promote Papua’s tourism potential and to preserve and showcase traditional arts and culture from Jayapura and Papua,” Habel said. Apart from showcasing traditional arts and culture, the festival also features agricultural product exhibits.

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