World Fair Field Festival this weekend

Plans are falling into place for this weekend's two-day World Fair Field International Symposium and Festival.

The organizers of the event, a celebration of Fairfield's international character, have released a schedule of activities and performances for Saturday's festival.

The sidewalk Parade of Nations begins at 1:30 p.m. that day at Howard Park. All who want to join the fun by dressing up in their colorful best and/or carry flags are invited to take part. At 2 p.m. sharp, parade attendees will walk up Court Street to Central Park, circling the Park, and finish facing the main stage on the north side of the square, where Mayor Ed Malloy will official open the festival.

Music, games, and food will continue throughout the afternoon and evening. Children will get 'passports” stamped and collect mementos as they gain insights at each 'port of entry,” tables representing different countries. Central Park will be divided into four quadrants representing a different part of the world: the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Participants will share their cultural history through games, foods, crafts and artifacts.

Local bakers are encouraged to compete in the World Fair Field Baking Contest or just add to the community bake sale table. Those wishing to participate should bring their offerings to the Ron Prill Bandstand in Central Park Square by 1 p.m. For more details, see https://worldfairfield.org/international-baking-contest/ or email Fairfield Cultural Alliance President Denyce Rusch at fairfieldculturalalliance@gmail.com.

Saturday's schedule of events is as follows:

' 11 a.m. to noon: Foliba West African Drum Ensemble - Howard Park

' 1:30-2 p.m.: International Baking Contest Judging - Central Park

' 2-2:20 p.m.: Sidewalk Parade to Central Park - Tim Britton, Irish pipes and Foliba Afro-Brazilian marching samba troupe

' 2:20-2:30 p.m.: Opening ceremony in Central Park w/ Drums

' (Baking Contest Winners announced)

' 2:30-3 p.m.: Fairfield Dancers of India

' 3-3:05 p.m.: Introduction to Aikido

' 3:15-3:45 p.m.: Aikido demonstration on lawn

' 3:05-4:05 p.m.: Turkana Turkish folk music from Iowa City

' 4:05-4:20 p.m.: Crowd Surprise - Ann Bosold

' 4:20-5 p.m.: Jonas Magram Jazz Quintet

' 5:10-6 p.m.: Son Peruchos, Peruvian Indigenous Music

' 6-6:30 p.m.: Oktoberfest Polka Band in Central Park

' 6:30-7:10 p.m.: Skunk River Medicine Show, American Roots Music

' 7:20-8 p.m.: Out of the Green, Three Award-winning Celtic Music Artists

' 8:10-8:50 p.m.: Baraka, Amine Kouider and Friends from Algeria and beyond

' 9-10:30 p.m.: Bambu, multinational, multitalented hip-hop with Latin flair

For updates to the schedule, see https://worldfairfield.org/festival/

In case of rain, the Saturday's festival will move to Phoenix Rising Hall at the northwest corner of Burlington Avenue and Third Street. Updates on this will be posted to the website.

Volunteers are needed to set up on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and take down after the music stops at 11 p.m. Those wishing to help can email Rusch at the email address listed above.

The other half of this weekend's events is the symposium on Friday. The theme is 'Compassionate community, compassionate civilization.” It will be held at both the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center and the Argiro Student Center on the campus of Maharishi University of Management.

The symposium seeks to enhance global awareness and encourage students to meet sustainability goals.

Registration at the arts center will begin at 9:30 a.m. that day. The keynote speaker is Robertson Work, former principal policy advisor with the United Nations and professor at New York University. A panel of experts will talk about local efforts to implement the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals.

Attendees will travel across town from the arts center to M.U.M. and Maharishi School for the afternoon session. Tom Morgan will address the attendees, who will then participate in breakout workshops led by the morning's presenters.

The event will be inaugurated by Mayor Malloy and presenters will include David Suarez, a community organizer with Community First Credit Union, and Morad Malekghasemmi, who serves on the Iowa State Board of the UN Association, among others.

Organizers chose to celebrate the World Fair Field Symposium and Festival this weekend to coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Peace on Friday, Sept. 21.

Those responsible for putting on the event include the board of the Fairfield Cultural Alliance, Richard Beall and Kaye Jacob of Maharishi School and DeWayne Frazier, vice president for academic affairs at Iowa Wesleyan University.