Travel Around the World Without Leaving Milwaukee at the 69th Annual Holiday Folk Fair International

Holiday Folk Fair International will be held Fri., Nov. 16 – Sun., Nov. 18, 2012 at the Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis.

Produced by the International Institute of Wisconsin, Holiday Folk Fair International celebrates the cultural heritage of the people living in southeastern Wisconsin. This year’s theme, “Celebrate the Culture of the Story,” will allow Fair-goers the opportunity to learn the ways in which music, food, dance, and art explain a culture’s history and traditions.

Special attractions at this year’s event include the “One World, One People” photo exhibit, the Sister Cities International Young Artists and Authors Showcase, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites photo exhibit, an Old World Wisconsin display area, the Wisconsin Woodturners, and a bonsai exhibit.

The three-day event features the All Nations Theater with traditional music and dance, the World Café offering traditional dishes, the International Stage where young people perform their ethnic dances, the Music Pavilion with a variety of musical styles, Heritage Lane with unique traditions and customs through interactive exhibits, the International Bazaar where cultural artifacts create a unique shopping experience, and the Callen Construction Cooking Demonstration Stage featuring local chefs preparing traditional cuisine.

Holiday Folk Fair International will also host a United States Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony Sat., Nov. 17, at 10:30 a.m. and an “Around the World” 5K Run/Walk Sun., Nov. 18 at 9:00 a.m.

Hours on Fri., Nov. 16 are 2 p.m. – 10 p.m.; 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 17; and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 18. Advance tickets will be sold for $10 each, with family four-packs for $36, and can be purchased on-line at www.folkfair.org.

Admission at the gate will be $12 for adults; $8 for children ages 6 to 12; children under the age of five will be admitted at no charge. Those 62 and over will be admitted for $10, and all military personnel with a military ID card will be admitted free.

For more information on the 2012 Holiday Folk Fair International, visit www.folkfair.org or call the International Institute of Wisconsin at 414-225-6220.