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Silver Dollar City’s World-Fest Ending

22-Year Run, Going Out in Big Style

               By Bob Lindsey

The concept of entertainers from multi cultures and countries didn’t seem quite fitting 22 years ago when Silver Dollar City first introduced park visitors to World-Fest. After 22 successful Spring seasons for World-Fest, the event still has two and half-more weeks before taking a final bow on May 1. Over the years, the event has been a successful addition.

Having been to the event several times, it became our favorite SDC event on par with An Old Town Christmas held every November and December. It had special meaning to be invited to last World-Fest.

Some of the performers have appeared for several years such as the popular steel drum group Stix on Steel from Trinidad and Tobago with its calypso and reggae plus a few extras such as their version of Broadway hits with a steel drum beat. The Island Fire musicians and dancers from Tahiti, Samoa and Hawaii and the famed Fire Knife Dancers and the Ecuador Manta with pan flute music from the Andes.

In past years World-Fest had talented bands from Russia and Canada and south-of-the border performers from Mexico and Central America. For this final year, two huge production shows have been brought in, one from Eastern Europe, the other from Africa, and both were crowd pleasers that packed two of Silver Dollar City’s largest halls.

The first show we attended at The Opera House featured a talented 35-member music and dance troupe from Poland offering colorful costumes and music of Eastern Europe. Called Slask, this troupe provided spectacular song and high-leaping dance routines—

not what I thought about when thinking of the Polish festivals around St. Louis.

Just a bit more spectacular was the second new big show called Cirque Zuma Zuma , an African circus showcase with flying acrobats, aerial pole climbers and amazing human pyramids performing to sounds of “dundunba” drums. The performers came from several countries of the African continent. Like Slask’s schedule, there are three Zuma Zuma shows a day at the large Red Gold Heritage Hall. Another new show this World-fest was the haunting harp melodies of Dearbhail Finnegan at the smaller Dockside theater.

Same day visitors who stay around until 6 p.m. can see the new Hits from the Echo

Hallow 70-minute show that includes several musical and individual artists. There’s also some family comedy sketches and Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dogs. Unfortunately, we were unable to stay to see this show.

We did have enough time during the day to check out the new Firemen’s Landing area that opened last year with ten family adventures. It resembled a themed area for all ages that centers around rides and attractions that carries a message of volunteerism and community spirit of small town volunteer fire departments and their training facilities.

Part of the international World-Fest theme is the Tastes of the World international \ food pavilion with such fare   as Caribbean nachos, Brazilian flatbreads, Polynesian Calzones, Jamaican and Fiji tacos, Thai hot dogs, plus desserts like Crepe Suzette and Gelato.

World-Fest is open Wednesday-Sunday until May 1. The annual Bluegrass & BBQ event is running next, May 5-30. For complete information on these events and others planned at the City this year, visit www.silverdollarcity.com (800-831-4FUN)

WORLD-FEST entertainers include Island fire musicians

(top left), Stix on Steel from Trinidad and Tobago (top right)

and Ecuador Manta flutists (bottom photo)

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