Philly Fest celebrates diversity

Philly Fest -- the last event of a series of cultural world days at the University -- offered an afternoon of music, dance, arts, crafts and food from countries around the world. Sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Saturday's festival represented cultural traditions from India, Asia, Italy, Latin America and Africa. Jacqueline Jenkins and Barbara Jorden of Franklinville, N.J., demonstrated African American quilting, which they described as more powerful than traditional quilting patterns. "These quilts are more explosive, more expressive and more spiritual," Jenkins said. "They each tell a story." She attributed the unique qualities of African American quilts to the choice of warm colors, including black, red and yellow. "There is a certain spirituality about these quilts -- it is a tradition passed on through generations," Jenkins added. "African American women from all over the country are connected to their past, present and future through these quilts." Philly Fest also displayed samples of Latin American culture. Mexican artists helped young visitors make flowers out of tissue paper, which are used in celebrations in Mexico, California and many Southern states. During the Mexican arts and crafts workshop, children made masks resembling jaguars and monarch butterflies -- two important Mexican symbols. "It is important to give our kids a broader aspect of the rest of the world and traditions that they may never see," said Paul Billbrought, a Philadelphia resident who brought his daughter to the event. Cooking was one of the most popular attractions at the festival. Representatives from the Italian Market displayed various types of pasta, sauces, spices and cookware as participants listened to Italian food stories and learned popular recipes. Visitors also had the opportunity to learn about Indian cooking, demonstrated by Amita Mathur, a cooking instructor. And various dance groups gave audiences a sample of performances from around the world. Dancers from the Payal Dancing School in Berlin, N.J., performed a traditional Indian dance, while the India Civic Society Youth Group of Voorhees, N.J., demonstrated an Indian folk dance. Other dance performances included African American tap dancing and traditional Cambodian dances. College freshman Yana Brayman described the festival's many cultural performances as "especially interesting." "We are so accustomed to the same type of music and dancing, so it's nice to see performances from other cultural backgrounds," Brayman added.