Special Exhibits and Displays Featured at Holiday Folk Fair International

MILWAUKEE, WI ⎯ Special exhibits and displays will once again play an important role in the 81st  annual Holiday Folk Fair International, America’s premiere multi-cultural festival, to be held Fri., Nov. 22 – Sun., Nov. 24, 2024, at the Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis.

Working with Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Fine Arts Department, the Folk Fair will present 17 murals prepared by MPS students, with the murals depicting worldwide cultures. The following schools participated in the project, with the area represented in the murals:

• Escuela Vieau School: Dominican Republic
• Fernwood Montessori School: India
• Golda Meir High School: Columbia
• Hawley Environmental School: Spain
• James Groppi High School: Italy
• La Escuela Fratney: Japan
• Marshall High School – Netherlands
• Milwaukee High School of the Arts: Thailand
• Milwaukee Spanish Immersion School: Costa Rica
• Morgandale Elementary School: Puerto Rico
• North Division High School: Pakistan
• Pulaski High School: Palestine
• Rogers Street Academy: Mexico
• South Division High School: Myanmar
• Walt Whitman School: Germany
• Wedgewood Park International School: Laos
• Zablocki School: Indigenous-Oneida Nation

In recognition of the event’s 2024 featured food, traditional desserts, a photographic exhibit of dishes from around the world will be presented, with images depicting delicacies such as Zagareliali, a fried pastry from Lithuania, Kolace from the Czechs, a yeast dough typically filled with fruit and covered with almond slivers and raisins, Krofne, a Serbian doughnut, and Svenska Pannkakor, Swedish pancakes.

The Dirty Kettle Native American interactive display will feature Herb Heck, aka “Dirty Kettle,” depicting and teaching the traditions of the Plains Indians and the Mountain Men. The display is comprised of a teepee arranged as it would have been more than 150 years ago, with items that were typical of the period, including willow beds covered in buffalo hides and backrests wrapped with deer and sheep skins. In addition, furs line the inside of the teepee, including bobcat, moose, ermine, fox, beaver, mink, coyote, and Canadian timber wolf. The display will also feature items used during the period, including dance sticks, talking and prayer feathers, bows and arrows, tools, traps, fire-starting items, and hand-made musical instruments, such as flutes and drums.

The Artisan Corner, presented by Debra Stefl, will feature local vendors demonstrating their craft throughout the weekend, including…

• Master Artisan Vesile Yilmaz of Brookfield showing Ebru (marbling), also known as paper marbling, a Turkish art from Central Asia
• Masaru Danshita of Milwaukee doing Origami Papercraft.

• Taka Erck of Harland demonstrating Japanese pottery.
• Master Artisan Glen Gorsuch of Neshkoro making canoe paddles.
• Jean Klug of West Bend doing spinning and weaving.
• Roger Anderson from New Berlin making Filipino parols, Christmas stars, and paper crafts.

Skilled artisans from distant lands have created characteristic treasures to be on display and for sale in the International Bazaar. Providing a distinguished shopping experience, attendees will find products from 15 groups, including the African, Bolivian/Andean, Ecuadorian, Mexican, and Turkish.

Heritage Lane allows attendees to take a stroll and discover traditional and unique customs from around the world by interacting with diverse cultures brought to life through ethnic exhibits. There will displays on behalf of 18 groups, including the Indian, Irish, Korean, Latvian, Polish, and Thai.

The Children’s Area will feature games and activities for young children, with an emphasis on explaining the cultures and traditions of groups from around the world.

Folk Fair attendees can learn about and enjoy bonsai trees from the Milwaukee Bonsai Society. The term bonsai means tree in a pot, and it is a living art sculpture that combines three-dimensional design and horticulture. The display will feature various styles and types of bonsai trees and plants. Varieties to be displayed will include maple, elm, juniper, pine, cedar, and ficus trees, plus jade plants. There will be signage next to each tree and plant that identifies the bonsai style, an explanation of the style, and the Japanese word for the style. Attendees will be able to vote on their favorite tree.

The Wisconsin Woodturners will have its annual display, with several woodturners conducting demonstrations throughout each day. Fair-goers will be able to get a close look at the woodturning process and browse products, such as bowls, sculptures, vases, and more. Kids will also be able to play with a tongue drum, a wooden musical instrument with slits.

A program of the International Institute of Wisconsin, Holiday Folk Fair International celebrates the cultural heritage of the people living in southeastern Wisconsin. This year’s theme, “Celebrate the Culture of Traditional Art,” will allow Fairgoers to explore how traditional art represents one’s cultural heritage, as it conveys traditions, values, and beliefs. The featured food at the 2024 event will be traditional desserts, which have a historical significance to many cultural groups.

Special attractions in 2024 include invited international performers and artisans, featuring Folk Ensemble Lindyo from Croatia and Rocky Mountain Express from Utah, a Naturalization Ceremony on Nov. 22, a Youth Chess Tournament on Nov. 23, and an Interdenominational Religious Service on Nov. 24.

The three-day event features the All Nations Theater with traditional music and dance; the World Café offering traditional dishes; the Tanzhauz, where attendees dance and sing along with a variety of musical stylings; the Coffee House, where patrons enjoy a beverage and baked goods while listening to talented musicians; Heritage Lane with unique traditions and customs through interactive exhibits; the International Bazaar, where cultural artifacts create a unique shopping experience; and the American Culinary Federation Chefs of Milwaukee Chefs Stage presented by TightSeal Exteriors and Baths featuring local chefs preparing traditional cuisine.

Hours are 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 22; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 23; and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 24.

Advance tickets can be purchased for $13 through Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Folk Fair website (https://folkfair.org/admission/) and from all participating ethnic groups. There are no refunds. Admission at the gate is $16 for ages 8 – 61, with children up to age seven admitted at no charge. Those 62 and over will be admitted for $14, and all military personnel with a military ID card will be admitted free.

For more information on the 2024 Holiday Folk Fair International, visit www.folkfair.org or call 414-225-6225.