Day One – Festival Wrap

IRVINE,California May 6/-- A host of dignitaries and celebrities attended the opening ceremony on the first day of the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival on May 6, 2010.

The event began with an opening address by Atilla Kahveci, Vice President of the Pacifica Institute who welcomed the guests to the new location at the OC Great Park in Irvine.

Hakan Tekin, Consul General of Turkey in Los Angeles made a speech in which he talked about the diverse communities that live in California. “Turks are not sizeable compared to many other ethnic nationalities, so we have a challenge in terms of promoting our culture,” he said.

Tekin added, “Events like this carry great importance in terms of knowing each other much better.”

Also speaking were Sukhee Kang, the Mayor of Irvine, Steve Martinez, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, LA (FBI), Keith Curry, Mayor of Newport Beach and Bishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Church of Chicago.

Irvine Mayor Kang described the work that went into the festival as “gigantic” and applauded Pacifica for bringing such a large-scale festival to Irvine. “By working together you made it happen,” he said.

The speeches were followed by a ribbon-cutting. Also attending from Turkey were Hasan Duruer, the Governor of Mardin and Munir Karaloglu, the Governor of Van.

Hollywood actor Tony Schiena and his wife Bianca Christians, Gwenn Gross, the Superintendent of Irvine were also among the many guests who included bestselling food author Faye Levy.

The highly anticipated festival went off to a great start with a VIP tour of the festival grounds, which cover 550 square feet (more than 50,000 square meters). This year exciting new exhibits included a replica of the Topkapi Museum with live models dressed as the Sultan and his courtiers. At the “Paths of Anatolia” historic exhibit there were three new cultures including the giant sculptures of Mount Nemrut. A popular meeting spot was the authentic coffee house where real Turkish coffee was made to order throughout the day.

Authentic foods like gozleme (flatbreads), manti (dumplings), kebabs were on sale at the 100 food and craft stands. One of the most popular on the first day was the kunefe stand (a warm dessert made from shredded pastry and cheese), while the Maras ice cream-master again delighted guests with his trickery.

The live performance made a big impact: highlights were the Mehter (the oldest Ottoman marching band), pop singer Ferhat Atli, and the Armenian musician Yervant. Two-time world champion arm wrestler, Ozgur Kizgin challenged visitors to last 5 seconds and remained undefeated, except to the occasional pretty young lady. 

There was much interest in the event from local and international media. Crews from the Fox 11 News Channel, Channel 13, Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), KanalTurk, ATV, HaberTurk, CNNTurk as well as reporters and writers from The Examiner, Tribune Media, the Anka News Agency.

Pacifica's Festival Dishes Up Best of Anatolian Cuisine

LOS ANGELES, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost a ton (metric) of homemade dumplings are ready to be served at the Second Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival, which celebrates the region's rich cuisine, along with its music and history.

The festival will run May 6 to May 9, 2010 at the OC Great Park in Irvine (www.anatolianfestival.org).

The dime-sized delicacies known as "manti," were prepared by an army of volunteer cooks in Southern California and will be offered with a large selection of other regional foods. The dumplings were a big hit at last year's event, which drew almost 30,000 visitors, and vendors sold out of them on the third day.

"This year we are expecting a lot more people and we are confident that we'll satisfy everybody's appetite for good food and for knowledge of an exciting culture," said Atilla Kahveci, Vice President of the Pacifica Institute, the Los Angeles-based non-profit organization hosting the festival. (www.pacificainstitute.org)

The wide array of foods will be available at an area styled after the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, with up to 100 food and craft stalls. Vendors will dish up favorites like kebabs, pilavs (rice) and baklava, and more unusual offerings like stuffed vegetables, flat breads made-to-order and soups like "tarhana," made from a sun-dried paste of cracked wheat and yoghurt.

Charles Perry, the renowned food writer and historian, will give a talk on Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9 explaining the history of these foods. He will also sign copies of his book "A Baghdad Cookery Book Newly Translated," a translation of a 13th century cookbook that influenced Anatolian cooking. Perry currently writes for Zester Daily (http://zesterdaily.com)

The festival will also feature street vendors selling simits (a type of sesame pretzel), corn and juices, while one of the most popular items is again expected to be the Maras ice-cream, a stretchy orchid-flavored frozen dessert from Eastern Turkey.

New this year is a traditional coffee house where festival-goers can enjoy the traditional thick, espresso-like drink. Professional chefs and home cooks from Turkey will also be on hand giving cooking classes.

Tickets and information are available at www.anatolianfestival.org, by email at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or by phone at 310-208-7290.

Anatolian Festival Announces Action-Packed Program

 
LOS ANGELES, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 dancers and musicians will gather at the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival at the OC Great Park in Irvine in May to celebrate the rich musical traditions of this region in modern-day Turkey.

The festival is now in its second year and it is a rare chance to experience Anatolia's diverse heritage of food, crafts and music. The event will run May 6 to May 9, 2010 and tickets and information are available online at www.anatolianfestival.org.

"Music and dance have always been very important in Anatolian life," said Atilla Kahveci, vice president of the Pacifica Institute (www.pacificainstitute.org), the non-profit organization hosting the event. "Some of the music you'll hear has a history that goes back thousands of years."

The performers will arrive from all corners of Turkey and the US, and represent different cultures and religions, including Turkish, Sufi, Christian, Armenian, Greek and Ottoman. They will join last year's popular acts, the Whirling Dervishes, the traditional virtuoso Omer Faruk Tekbilek, the Armenian singer Yervant, Turkish pop musician Ferhat Atli and the oldest military marching band, the Mehter Takimi.

The line-up includes:

• A 20-member dance group from Ankara, with master singers and musicians.
• An all-girl Syrac Orthodox Choir from the city of Mardin.
• An award-winning youth group from the city of Van specializing in regional music and dance.
• A Greek folk group representing Sirtaki traditions.
• A Circassian dance group.
• A children's choir from a selection of US schools giving recitals in Turkish.

Performances will take place throughout the day at the main concert stage and at separate exhibit areas. The nightly concerts will feature the Whirling Dervishes on Saturday, May 8 and Omar Faruk Tekbilek on Sunday, May 9.  

More details will be announced and a program will also be available at the festival. For more information call 310 208 7290.

Pacifica Institute Announces Second Anatolian Festival

LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival is returning to capture California's hearts, minds and taste buds.

Hosted by the Pacifica Institute (www.pacificainstitute.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering multi-cultural dialogue, the festival celebrates the diverse history, food and music of this vibrant region in Turkey. The event is now in its second year and will run May 6 to May 9, 2010 at its new venue at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine.

"This year we have made many exciting new additions," said Atilla Kahveci, vice president of Pacifica. "We think people will especially enjoy getting a bird's eye view of everything from the OC Great Park's air balloon."

Other new attractions include a replica of Istanbul's historic Topkapi Palace, a traditional coffee house and an arch featuring the statues of Nemrut Mountain. There will also be 120 stands with authentic foods and goods in an area inspired by the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

The festival will showcase the great civilizations that thrived in Anatolia, dating back to the Trojans, Romans and Ottomans. The "Paths of Anatolia" ushers visitors inside through a series of 14 arches dedicated to them, with costumed models bringing it all to life.

Topkapi Palace will be displayed in the city of Istanbul, one of the five cities also featured. They include the seaside city of Antalya with its ancient ruins; Mardin and its historic stone dwellings; Van, home of the oldest Armenian church and Konya, where the Sufi poet Rumi lived in the 13th Century.

The festival will again immerse visitors in the sights and sounds of Anatolia, old and new.  At each set, craftsmen will demonstrate ancient arts such as weaving, calligraphy and carving and there will be performances of regional music, dance and theatre. The Whirling Dervishes and the Ottoman Marching Band will also return with their awe-inspiring performances throughout the day and a line-up of world-class singers and musical virtuosos will perform each night.

The Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival is sponsored by the LA-based Pacifica Institute along with the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce (CATA) and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA). For more information go to www.anatolianfestival.org, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (310) 208 7290.