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Cultural Festival set for Miller Park
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Cultural Festival set for Miller Park
Pantagraph staff pantagraph.com | Posted: Sunday, August 14, 2011 9:00 pm |
BLOOMINGTON — The 32nd edition of the Cultural Festival Weekend returns to the
Miller Park Bandstand and vicinity for two days of diversity in art and entertainment.
Crowds estimated at 15,000 annually congregate in the park for the free event, founded in
1980, and originally centered on the courthouse square in downtown Bloomington as a
modest single-day affair.
For its second year in 1981, the festival moved to Miller Park, where it has remained and
grown ever since.
Per tradition this year’s free event will offer a wide range of entertainment and music,
booth information on programs addressing cultural diversity, workshops offered at the
park pavilion, food vendors and more.
Though the bulk of the activities are Saturday and Sunday, there will be senior citizen
bingo games in the pavilion from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday.
Saturday’s offerings include a health fair from noon to 4:30 p.m. in the pavilion, with free
screenings and other information.
Both days, a children’s village, organizational booths and food vendors will be offered.
Local motivational speaker James Hastings will offer presentations on “Being an
Entrepreneur,” focusing on business, arts, fashion and music.
The focus of the Cultural Festival has always been the entertainment stage, which will be
filled with nonstop activity both days.

2. Saturday’s daytime lineup includes: Hawaiian Hula Dancers, 11 a.m.; Sugar Creek
Cloggers, noon; acoustic rockers Randy Zehr and Ken Mueller, 12:30 p.m.; Kankakee
Teen & Youth Idol winners, 1 p.m.; A Taste of Hip-Hop, 1:45 p.m.; Kendo martial arts
demonstration, 2 p.m.; “Your Money” game show, 3 p.m.; Sofia Reed’s “A Taste of
Opera,” 3:45 p.m.; the F.A.TA. Dance Ensemble, 4 p.m.; Dance, Dance, Dance youth
ensemble, 4:20 p.m.; and Sahira Synergy Sirens belly dancers, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday’s evening offerings include “Sarge’s Block Party,” featuring a lineup of local
talent, 5 p.m.; the Emerging Artist Talent Showcase, 6 p.m.; smooth jazz band Soft
Spoken, 7 p.m.; and Chicago R&B cover band BluPrint, 8 p.m.
Sunday’s lineup begins with the Velvet Groove Band, 1 p.m., and is followed by local
blues favorites, the Steve “The Harp” Blues Band.
Climaxing the day will be the festival’s annual Sunday Gospel Celebration from 3 to 6
p.m., featuring choirs and singers from area churches and organizations.
Go!: 32nd Cultural Festival Weekend
When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Miller Park, Bloomington
Cost: Free
Information: www.culturalfest.com
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