Birmingham International Festival

Birmingham International Festival

AprilFormerly known as the Birmingham Festival of the Arts, this display of performing and visual arts honors a different nation each year, and has been held since 1951 in Birmingham, Ala. A two-week long affair, the festival celebrates the chosen country's theater, literature, history, music, customs, and food with films, lectures, exhibits, and book-and-author luncheons. Traditional dance and folk music ensembles from the honored country perform at the street festival on the third weekend in April amid food and craft booths, storytellers, artists, and musicians.
But the rest of the festival—a renowned educational program—begins in early March when teachers from around the state gather for a workshop to learn about the featured country. Then during the second and third weeks in April they hold events in schools throughout the state highlighting the country's folklore, art, history, and traditions.
CONTACTS:
Birmingham International Center
1910 3rd Ave. N, Ste. 100
Birmingham, AL 35203
205-252-7652; fax: 205-252-7656
www.birminghaminternationalcenter.org
SOURCES:
GdUSFest-1984, p. 3
MusFestAmer-1990, p. 20