Experience Ancient And Contemporary Tibetan Culture At Tibet Fest

Experience a culture of love, compassion and kindness at Seattle Center Festál: Tibet Fest, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24-25, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., at Seattle Center Armory. The two-day festival fuses ancient and new Tibetan arts and culture to engage, entertain and educate.

The public is rarely able to experience Tibet's unique and resilient culture. The Tibetan diaspora is very small, and propogation of the culture among younger generations is difficult. Tibet Fest provides a unique opportunity for this community to embrace its Tibetan identity with pride, while connecting with the broader public. In 2019, Tibet Fest is bringing new elements into the weekend - and cultural displays from all corners of Tibet - to make the story of its community even more accessible.

Among the offerings, festival-goers can explore a traditional Tibetan dwelling, contrasted with a more contemporary exhibit next to it to illustrate the fluidity of culture and tradition, influenced by time and exposure to other cultures in a smaller and smaller world. Visitors may also sample the region's different cuisines, attend demonstrations on Tibetan meditation, dance and song and take selfies dressed in Tibetan head gear and jewelry.

Several exhibits speak to different aspects of the Tibetan culture, from life in the United States and life stories of elder community members to religious paintings/thangkas and a display of contemporary Tibetan home design. Several graduates of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharamsala, India, residing in different parts of the U.S., will be on stage, along with the all-women Trisong Dance Group of greater Seattle. Portland-based Tibetan tattoo artist/calligrapher/ poet/singer/wind instrumentalist Tamding Tseten will lead a workshop and present his calligraphy work.

For more information, visit: https://www.washingtontibet.org/

Newly added this year is the "Alaska Airlines Fly Away Giveaway." Guests who obtain a passport inside Seattle Center Armory or by downloading online can collect stamps by attending festivals to be entered to win round-trip air travel for two to the Alaska Airlines destination of their choice. Each stamp is an entry to win; the more Festál events attended and stamps collected, the higher the odds of winning! More information at seattlecenter.com/festal.

Seattle Center Festál highlights the culturally rich communities who shape the character of our region. Although the series began in 1997, the festivals took place earlier in their own ethnic communities. Now, Seattle Center serves as a central place, where festivals invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression. This year's theme, "Love, Peace and Understanding," is woven throughout 24 free, ethnic cultural festivals. In a time of divisive national rhetoric, Festál celebrates our shared humanity to build connections, tear down stereotypes and create trust.

Seattle Center Festál: Tibet Fest is a public program presented by Seattle Center in partnership with the Tibetan Association of Washington. Admission is free of charge. For more information on this festival, visit www.washingtontibet.org, and to learn more about this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206-684-7200.

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