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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, California (April 12, 2009) -- The First Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival wrapped on Sunday night (April 5th) to the soothing sounds of the Whirling Dervishes and their musical ensemble. The four-day event took place at the Orange County Fairgrounds and gave Californians an all-rounded experience of a region which sits in the heart of modern-day Turkey, celebrating its diverse history, culture, food and music.
(Los Angeles, California. April 4th, 2009) -- A group of men in long crimson dresses and mighty moustaches are causing a commotion in Orange County. They are the Mehter Takimi, the Ottoman marching band who are participating at the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, giving regular performances to awe-struck audiences. The festival kicked off April 2nd and will run through Sunday, April 5th, 2009.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Los Angeles, California (March 24, 2009) -- Ancient traditions and modern interpretations converge at the upcoming Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival, which will celebrate the best of the region’s musical heritage along with its architecture, crafts and food. The festival will run April 2nd to 5th, 2009 at the Orange County Fairgrounds in California and is sponsored by Pacifica Institute, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization devoted to strengthening ties among diverse ethnic groups. At the festival’s main concert stage, the three-day line-up will include Sufi-inspired performances from Turkey as well as US-based artists like Omer Faruk Tekbilek who will present a mix of traditional, folk and modern music, as well as songs from his new album on Saturday night. Tekbilek, a master of traditional Anatolian instruments like the ney (bamboo flute), the zurna (double-reed oboe) and the baglama (lute), will be accompanied by an ensemble of Turkish, Israeli, Greek and Armenian musicians. The festival will kick-off on Friday evening with Turkey’s Ertugrul Erkisi, a master of the ud, a traditional string instrument popular in the region. The performance will showcase classical Turkish music and its diverse cultural influences. Sunday night will be dedicated to Sufi music, with performances by the internationally-renown Whirling Dervishes, the devotional dancers from Konya, home of Sufi poet Rumi. They have given sold-out performances in California in the past and will offer audiences a glimpse of an ancient form of religious mysticism that has endured through centuries. The diverse mix of performers will also include Armenian singer Udi Yervant and Turkish pop musician Ferhat Atli. During the day, an Syrac Orthodox Choir will perform alongside one of the world’s oldest military marching bands, Mehter Takimi. They will be joined by amateur Turkish folk groups from California, Nevada and Arizona. All the performers are available for press appearances and interviews before the festival. For additional information or to set up interviews contact Atilla Kahveci ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Elif Cercel ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at (310) 208 7290. You can also visit www.anatolianfestival.org. Pacifica Institute was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American community of California as a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Its mission is to promote cross-cultural awareness by organizing festivals, conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as a way to bring people together from different communities and ethnic backgrounds. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2009 - The first Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival celebrating the architecture, crafts and food of that region (modern day Turkey) will run April 2nd to 5th 2009 at the Orange County Fairgrounds. The event has a unique focus on the multi-cultural heritage of Anatolia, showcasing the Ottomans, Hittites, Armenians and other civilizations. Los Angeles-based Pacifica Institute is the main sponsor of the festival and plans to make this an annual fixture in California. Other participants are the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce (CATA) and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA). "We want to provide a full sensory experience of the history of this region," said festival coordinator Kemal Gur. "Visitors will literally eat the foods, see the sights and hear the sounds that an ordinary Byzantine or Ottoman citizen experienced thousands of years ago." The festival will showcase five major cities and 11 arches including a reconstruction of the Trojan Horse. The sets were constructed in Istanbul over a six-month period by a team of 50 carpenters, under the guidance of historians and archeologists. They used 60 tons of steel, 20,000 square meters of vinyl and other materials to recreate landmarks such as Rumi's Museum in Konya. Each set will also feature 3D graphics and photographs, along with documents translated from manuscripts. During the festival artisans will demonstrate regional crafts, ranging from filigree to weaving. There will also be nightly live concerts, featuring virtuoso Omer Faruk Tekbilek and his ensemble of Turkish, Greek and Armenian musicians, as well as the Whirling Dervishes, folk dancers and an Ottoman marching band. At more than 90 booths reminiscent of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar festivalgoers will savor authentic foods and purchase crafts. There will also be a children's area where puppet theater and fairy tale performances will run on two stages. For additional information visit www.anatolianfestival.org, contact Elif Cercel or Atilla Kahveci at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (310) 208 7290. Pacifica Institute was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American community of California as a non-profit organization. Its mission is to promote cross-cultural awareness by organizing festivals, conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as a way to bring people together from different communities and ethnic backgrounds. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FESTIVAL OFFERS JOURNEY TO ANATOLIA’S CULINARY PAST Los Angeles, CA (March 10, 2009) – Californians will soon have the chance to eat their way through centuries of history. At the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival organizers are highlighting the culinary heritage of this region and they are promising more than 45 booths devoted to food as well as daily classes and a huge range of imported products. The event will run from April 2nd to April 5th, 2009 at the Orange County Fairgrounds and is sponsored by Los Angeles-based Pacifica Institute. “We put the emphasis on variety,” says festival coordinator Kemal Gur from Pacifica Institute. “So we decided to bring in a team of chefs from Turkey to oversee the production of many local favorites. Everything will be prepared with the strictest food safety standards, of course,” Gur added. Among the culinary highlights of the event will be a “manti” stand (homemade meat dumplings topped with yoghurt and butter sauce). There will also be a section dedicated to vegetable dishes cooked in olive oil typical of the Aegean region, along with a selection of “dolmas” (stuffed vegetables). There will also be offerings of kebabs and koftes (meat balls) and other street foods, such as sujuk sandwiches (a spicy sausage). Another highlight will be the handmade unleavened breads typical of the whole of Anatolia. A group of women specializing in this are traveling to the festival with their rolling pins ready to feed the hungry festivalgoers. There will also be a soup stand serving comfort foods typical of Anatolian kitchens, such as tarhana, made from a paste of cracked wheat and yoghurt dried in the sun and cooked in a broth. Seyidoglu is one of two top makers of deserts in Turkey, will have a variety of baklavas and other pastries on hand to sweeten the plates while Brooklyn-based Masal Café has reserved five stands and will offer customers the classic Turkish coffee and other beverages. There will also be a selection of lesser-known syrup-based deserts and puddings that once graced Ottoman tables. Other highlights of the event are recreations of five major cities, where craftsmen will demonstrate authentic methods of making regional artifacts. Organizers are also reconstructing 11 arches representing the major civilizations that flourished in Anatolia as well as a large-scale version of the Trojan Horse. At a replica of the Ahmet III Fountain visitors will be able to help themselves to regional drinks such as ayran (a youghurt drink) and juices while at an area designated for children there will be live puppet shows and fairy tale readings. For additional information and images please visit www.anatolianfestival.org, contact Atilla Kahveci or Elif Cercel at Pacifica Institute at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (310) 208 7290. Pacifica Institute was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American community of California as a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Its mission is to promote cross-cultural awareness by organizing festivals, conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as a way to bring people together from different communities and ethnic backgrounds. Los Angeles, CA, March 6, 2009 -- Cargo boxes containing sets for the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival have arrived at ports in the United States. The festival, which will take place April 2nd to 5th at the Orange County Fairgrounds, is one of the largest of its kind and will celebrate the cultures, cuisines and history of Anatolia (modern day Turkey). Los Angeles-based Pacifica Institute is the main sponsor of the event and plans to make this an annual fixture in California’s calendar, bringing together the diverse communities that once called Anatolia their home. Among the participants are the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce (CATA) and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA). “We want to provide a full sensory experience of the history of this region,” said festival co-ordinator Kemal Gur. “Visitors will literally eat the foods, see the sights and hear the sounds that an ordinary Byzantine or Ottoman citizen experienced thousands of years ago.” The sets will recreate a series of arches and five major cities representing the civilizations that once flourished in Anatolia. They were constructed in Istanbul over a six-month period by a team of 50 carpenters and craftsmen, under the guidance of historians and archeologists. The team used 60 tons of steel, 20,000 square meters of vinyl and other materials to recreate landmark structures ranging from Rumi’s Museum in Konya, the Akhdamar Armenian Church in Van and the Aspendos Theater in Antalya. There will also be a large-scale reconstruction of the Troyan Horse. Each set will also feature 3D graphics and photographs, along with more than 500 pages of documents translated from manuscripts and other sources. A team of 25 people is due to arrive in the U.S. this month to begin construction. In the evenings, organizers plan a series of live concerts at the main stage, along with whirling dervish and folk dance performances, movies and talks, while at booths reminiscent of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar festival-goers will be able to savor authentic foods and purchase crafts and other products. At a replica of the historic Ahmet III fountain regional drinks such as ayran (a yoghurt-drink) and juices will be available, and volunteers wearing authentic costumes will greet visitors under the arches. In a separate area, there will be a children’s playground, a souvenir shop and other family activities, while musical shows, puppet theater performances and fairy tale readings will run concurrently at two stages. For additional information and images please visit www.anatolianfestival.org, contact Atilla Kahveci or Elif Cercel at Pacifica Institute at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call (310) 208 7290. Pacifica Institute was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American community of California as a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Its mission is to promote cross-cultural awareness by organizing festivals, conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as a way to bring people together from different communities and ethnic backgrounds. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pacifica Institute Announces its First Ever Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival Los Angeles, CA, 02/10/2009: Pacifica Institute announces its first ever Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival. The Festival will celebrate the cultures, cuisines and history of Anatolia (modern day Turkey). The aim of the festival is to strengthen civil society and cross-cultural awareness. Who: Pacifica Institute is the main sponsor of the Festival. Participating sponsors are CATA (California Turkish Americans) Chamber of Commerce, and the OIA (Organization of Istanbul Armenians). When: April 2nd to 5th 2009 10am to 10pm Where: Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, California (88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)
About Pacifica Institute: was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American community of California as a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Our mission is to promote cross-cultural awareness. To this end, we organize festivals, conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as vehicles to bring people together from different communities and ethnic backgrounds. |
