(Fishers, IN) Celebrate the arts, music and people of the Midwest during this cultural outdoor festival! The Indiana Festival, presented by Sky Bank, is a two-day multicultural festival that will be held on five acres of Conner Prairie’s rolling hills and will feature an Art & Craft marketplace - complete with artist demonstrations - five stages of entertainment, a kids’ activity area, cultural games and a variety of ethnic cuisine. General admission has been discounted for this weekend only. Guests can experience and enjoy a wide variety of dance, music and food showcasing the diverse cultures and heritage of Indiana as well as visit the Lenape Indian Camp, 1836 Prairietown Village and 1886 Liberty Corner to discover 19th-century arts and music all for the price of $7 for adults and $2 for children 2-12 at the gate. Advance discount tickets are available through June 1 at Sky Bank and Marsh Supermarkets for $6 for adults and $1 for children.

Artisans of Many Media!

Shop for one-of-a-kind items, all hand-made by local and statewide artisans. You’ll find many different types of media for sale: painting, jewelry, organics, pottery/stoneware, photography, furniture, metal sculpture, ceramics, drawing/etching, wood, mixed media, stained glass, glass, textiles, miscellaneous crafts, leatherworking and baskets.  Learn the secrets of artistic creation as some of the artists demonstrate their craft in 10-minute sessions – demonstrations include: iron work, watercolors, stained glass, basket weaving, fabric dyeing, fused glass and mortar sculpture – just to name a few.

Traditional Arts Indiana

Visit the Traditional Arts Indiana area and check out Indiana instrument makers. These instrument builders select, cut, carve, scrape and bend materials to sculpt sounds and tones. From ukuleles, guitars, and banjos to dulcimers, drums and berimbaus, Indiana boasts a rich heritage of instrument playing and making that reflects the diversity of Hoosiers. Traditional Arts Indiana is dedicated to expanding public awareness of Indiana’s traditional practices, such as these independent instrument builders, and nurturing a sense of pride among Indiana traditional artists. Some of the finest handcrafted instruments in the world are made in private workshops throughout Indiana.

“We’re very excited to have Traditional Arts Indiana join us for the second year in a row at our third annual Indiana Festival: Celebrating the Arts, Music & People of the Midwest,” said Kathy Pataluch, director of special events at Conner Prairie. “After all, the festival is all about the people who live in Indiana today and the traditions of their cultural heritage that they brought with them to make our state richer.”

Amazing Performing Artists!

Enjoy the musical talents of local and regional performers as well as talented regional and local performers, on five stages throughout the weekend. Performers chosen for the Indiana Festival represent several musical genres including folk, Celtic, blues, traditional American and jazz-funk. Scheduled to perform are: the Indiana Caledonia Pipe Band, The Meister Winds, Mudkidz, Griot Drum Ensemble, Hogeye Navvy, Highland Reign, the Eastern Star Choir, Fiddle ‘n’ Feet, Freetown Village Singers, Orquesta Bravo!, Downstroke, Haulin’ Ashes, Cynthia Lane, Fruteland Jackson, Irish Airs and the Drums of West Africa. Cultural dance groups such as: Indianapolis Minyo Dancers, Inc., the Lilly Chinese Cultural Network, Irish Dancers of Indianapolis, Indiana Okinawa Kenjinkai, Into Salsa Latin Dance Studio, Die Fledermauschen Tanzgruppe, Kenyetta’ Dance Company, Indianapolis Chinese Community Center, Inc., Anderson Ballet Folklorico and Conner Prairie’s own Lenape Indian dancers, will inspire all to get out of their seats and learn a new dance move!

For the Kids!

Make sure to check out the children’s area where kids can meet Nick Jr.’s Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego from “Go Diego Go!” all weekend long! Hands-on activities include making African sandpaper art, triangle fish, and a flag - all wonderful mementos that the kids can take home! For just $2.50 children can create leather crafts such as wristbands and necklaces.  There will be plenty of live musical entertainment on the kids’ stage, both Saturday and Sunday including: a Tribute to Dr. Seuss with Don Miller, magic shows, and a Japanese and Spanish version of  the Hokey Pokey.

Games for All Ages!

The answer: Having so much fun while learning how to play games from other countries! The question: What will you be doing in the Indiana Festival Games Pavilion?! Be a contestant in Conner Prairie’s Indiana Jeopardy! Categories include: Cities & Towns, Famous People, Destinations, Arts & Culture, Food & Drink, and History. Prizes will be awarded to the winner of each game. Enjoy cultural games with your family that you may have never known otherwise existed, such as: the Swedish game - Kuub, the African game - Mancala, the Italian game - Bocce Ball, the Chinese game – Mah Jong, the German game - Corn Toss and the Native American game – Pick-Up-Sticks.  Learn how to play the English game Cricket. Get a group together and play Twister…in French! Life size checkers and bowling are also available.

Ethnic Delights…American Favorites!

Make sure to come on an empty stomach as a variety of ethnic and traditional food will be waiting for you! Choose from one vendor or create your own smorgasbord of culinary delight from the following: Greek -gyros, baklava pastry, African - sambusas, fried plantains, Asian – pork kabobs, egg rolls, Jamaican coconut-curry chicken and sodas, gourmet popcorn, fried apples, strawberry shortcake and lemon shake-ups and smoothies. And for those 21 and older, visit the International Beer and Wine Stations. Culinary demonstrations will give you some great cooking tips. Chef Michael Sanchez will prepare a variety of cultural delights each day at the C.A.F.E. group culinary tent. Sample and learn how to make traditional favorites including German spaetzle, Greek baklava, Polish pierogis, Mexican tortillas, Chinese pot stickers and Irish cabbage rolls.

“The response to last year's festival was incredible – over the two days we saw a 43% increase over the previous year’s attendance, and the comments we received were overwhelmingly positive,” said Pataluch. “There is so much for adults and children alike, you can easily spend an entire day here. We have many returning artisans and craftsmen, as well as a lot of new artists that don't do the normal art fair circuit, so you're sure to find something unique. The entertainment line-up has more cultural music and dance groups than we've had the last two years, and so many of them really teach the audience about their cultural heritage during their performances. We've added so many subtle nuances to this year's event, the public won't even know they're being educated!”

It’s a weekend of music, dancing and shopping all over the prairie! Discover the arts, music and people of the Midwest, right here in Conner Prairie’s own backyard and the parking is free! Tickets for the Indiana Festival are on sale now through June 1 at Sky Bank locations and Marsh Supermarkets.

For more information on the 2007 artists, schedules for performance times or detailed descriptions of the food vendors, please call Melissa Okeley at 317.776.6000 ext. 232.

For more information, check out our web site: www.connerprairie.org!

Thanks to our sponsors: Presenting Sponsor: Sky Bank
Additional support from Hampton Inn-Carmel, Marsh Supermarkets, Vectren, United Art and Education and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

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