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The gem of Chattanooga’s hip and happening North Shore neighborhood is Coolidge Park, which is always bustling with activity. Back on Sept. 27, I set out to roam the park during what I feel is one of Chattanooga’s most important festivals, Culture Fest.
Culture Fest is an annual festival organized by the Chattanooga Arts & Education Council. The eclectic personality of the North Shore is the perfect atmosphere for this festival, as the diverse cultures of Chattanoogans are displayed and celebrated. Chattanooga represents a good mix of cultures from all over the world, so this festival is a perfect opportunity to bring them all together.
As I entered Coolidge Park, my first view was of the massive fountain close to the entrance. Kids and adults alike were having a grand time splashing around in the water. Looking up at the sky dark clouds loomed overhead, so I was hoping that we all wouldn’t be splashing around in water soon, because not everyone would have as good of a time as these people were.
I arrived a few hours after the festival started so I missed a few acts at the beginning, but when I arrived the Chattanooga Chinese Association was putting on multiple performances. They provided a good mix of traditional Chinese music and dance, as well as martial arts. The blend of all three was truly a magical experience.
Next the India Association took the stage with traditional music and dance from India. I then took a gander over at the food area because I got a sudden craving for some Indian food. I love curry, and the curry I got from the Curry Pot tent was exceptional. There is nothing like sitting down in the grass eating great curry while experiencing Indian music and dance.
Walking around the various booths provided ample information spanning several countries. People in traditional dress from different cultures manned these booths, and there were various items from all over the world on display, along with several activities. Some of the tents also had crafts for kids, and there was a booth where people could register to vote.
After checking out some of the booths, I walked up onto the Walnut Street Bridge to get a bird’s eye view of the festivities. It was a great view from way up there as I looked down on the crowd. Up on stage was a Guatemalan dance group, and the music could clearly be heard from way up there as well. On the field on the other side of the bridge, there was a demonstration of the Scottish Highland Games, which are sometimes referred to as the “Oatmeal Olympics.”
I just returned from Scotland a few months back, so I was highly interested in this competition. I had learned quite a bit about the Highland Games during my Scotland adventures, but did not actually attend any while I was over there, so this was a special treat for me.
These games are an old tradition of the Scottish Highlanders where men could show off their brute strength. It is said that the Highland kings and tribal chieftains would use the games to select the most able men for their bodyguards. One of the competitors was attempting to break a world record of pitchforking a bag high up over a bar, but came just short. I had a good view of this from the top of the bridge, and of the others participating in the events.
They then moved on to one of the most amazing Highland Games events, the tossing of the caber. The caber is a pine tree trunk about 19 ft long and weighs about 125 lbs. The contestant will hold the bottom of the tree trunk in his hands and attempt to toss it as far as he can. If that isn’t hard enough, not only is distance important in this event, but also style points are awarded for proper form. This event is believed to have originated from Highlanders throwing tree trunks in the river to float to the sawmill, because the trunks needed to be tossed as far as possible to not get caught on the sides of the riverbank.
The “Hands on the World” tent had demonstrations of African drumming and dance, martial arts, Tai-Ji and yoga, as well as theatre and poetry. There was a presentation of “Storytelling from Around the World” at the Walker Pavilion, which covered many storytelling traditions from numerous countries. The headliner on the River Stage was the highly ambidextrous Israeli percussionist Chen Zimbalista.
Culture Fest 2008 was an amazing event, though I wished I could have attended the whole day, and I will most certainly be returning next year. This festival is very important for understanding the world traditions that have mixed to help give Chattanooga its cultural diversity.
Coming Up
Coming fresh of the heels of attending Culture Fest, I’m going to go experience some world cultures firsthand. Next month I will review my trip to Italy, Greece and Turkey, and talk about some of my experiences roamin’ the Mediterranean.
I will be roamin’ through your area soon! If you would like to make comments or have questions about any of my stories, or provide some ideas and information for future stories, you can contact me at roaminwithroman@gmail.com.
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