March 2005
Petra Family Festival Features Food, Fun and More for Entire Family
The Petra Family Festival will bring Middle Eastern artists, vendors, photographers, tattoo and henna
artists, singers, dancers, clowns, jugglers and even a whirling dervish to Grand Rapids, and literally
put them under one big tent at Calvin College.
And lunch and entrance to the exhibition is included in the ticket price!
The Festival will be held May 7 from 12-8 p.m. in the Sultan’s Tent at Calvin College’s Prince
Conference Center.
It is one of many events planned in conjunction with Petra: Lost City of Stone, the comprehensive
exhibition of Nabataean archaeology and culture visiting Calvin April 4-August 15, 2005.
For just $15 for adults and $12 for children (or $50 for a family of four with each additional member
just $10) the Family Festival includes entry into the exhibition, lunch (including kebobs, hummus,
tabbouleh, baklava and Arabic coffee catered by the Pita House plus a make-your-own sundae
dessert) and a complimentary Petra family photo in the "dress Petra" photo booth.
Calvin's Souzan Karadsheh says the Family Festival is intended to be a fun way to both see the
exhibition and enjoy a variety of Middle Eastern activities.
"The reason why we came up with these events is so we can bring a cultural experience to this
exhibition. It's not just artifacts, but the culture of Petra, Jordan and the Middle East. It's such a warm
and fun culture that people here aren't so familiar with, and for Calvin to be the venue for that makes
me very proud and excited."
She adds: "The idea is not to make money. The idea is to bring the Middle East here and all the
aspects of that culture from food to music to dress."
Inside the big tent, various stations will offer an array of activities: henna art, tattoo art (fake tattoo
art) face-painting, and caricature drawing. At the "dress Petra" photo booth, visitors can dress in
authentic Middle Eastern clothing and pose for pictures.
Artisans and vendors will sell non-perishable Middle Eastern grocery items and sweets, clothing including belly dancing attire - jewelry, small instruments and hand-painted porcelain. Clowns,
jugglers and people dressed as Middle Eastern characters will stroll the crowds.
Onstage, Arabic bands and dance troupes will perform both contemporary and traditional Middle
Eastern singing and dancing, including the Jordanian debkeh - a time-honored Middle Eastern line
dance. And the stage is where the dervish will do his whirling.
"His act is very physically demanding, but he's willing to do it four times during the festival,"
Karadsheh says.
Calvin is collaborating on the Family Festival with the Arab-American and Chaldean Council (ACC)
which communicates regularly with the Detroit area's sizeable Arab American population (at
500,000, the largest population of Arabs living outside the Middle East). Among other things they
are helping Karadsheh to locate vendors and performers.
_____________________________________________________________________
For Release: March 2005
Calvin College
Phil deHaan
Director of Media Relations
616.526.6475
deph@calvin.edu
Professional Marketing
Diane M. Jones
President
616.949.9104
pmconsulting@aol.com
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Petra: Lost City of Stone is organized by the American Museum of Natural History and the Cincinnati Art Museum, and
presented under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, Petra is the first major cultural collaboration
between Jordan and the United States. Air transportation generously provided by Royal Jordanian.
In Grand Rapids a lead, local sponsor is Huntington Bank - West Michigan.