Raindrop presented an authentic Turkic weekend which pleased the wholefamily’s eyes, ears and palates.  This year, the festival drew around 25,000 participants of all ages. Among the festival’s distinguishedguests were Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, Houston mayoral racecontender Gene Locke, Houston’s First Lady Andrea White and ConsulGeneral of Turkey, Akil Öktem.

The festival is organized to display all aspects of the Turkic culturesand to revive artistic and cultural traditions, hence contributing toHouston’s celebration of its multicultural heritage. Moreover, theTurkic Fest is another way of celebrating and building upon universalhuman values shared by the Turkic and American peoples. The festivalemphasizes what we have in common by fostering public appreciation andhonoring of our differences as well as collaboration on mutuallybeneficial projects.

The highlight of the festival was the parade of the Ottoman MilitaryBand, which is the oldest one of its kind in history. Families, whoattended this fantastic weekend event, had an opportunity to have theirportraits taken in historical costumes in the exotic traditionalOttoman Tent, visit the Rumi tent, listen to Sufi music and authenticTurkic music, view a model of Blue Mosque and watch memorable liveperformances of Turkic singers, musicians, and folk dancers. More than50 art displays included Ebru - the art of water marbling, calligraphy,illuminations, hand-made ceramics and pottery, gilding, oriental rugs,throws, bags, decorative pillows, traditional jewelry, and handicrafts.Ladies attended an authentic henna night ceremony.

The festival’s food stands included the tastes and flavors of richTurkic cuisine as well as gourmet food from local Turkic restaurants,including kabobs, doner sandwiches, vegetable and meat dishes,desserts, Turkish delight, apricots, hazelnuts, ice cream, figs, andfamous culinary delights, such as Turkish coffee and baklava.

Kids enjoyed the Shadow Theater, puppet show, clowns, storytelling,coloring, face painting, games, contests, swings, slides, ponies, andother fun activities, as well as special treats like waffles, icecream, popcorn, and cotton candy.

The Turkic Fest has been made possible by the contributions ofvolunteers and sponsors from the Turkic-American community and bysupport of local organizations, including the City of Houston, theHouston Chronicle and Houston Aquarium.
Raindrop Turkish House is a non-profit organization providingeducational, social, cultural and charitable services.  Founded byTurkish-Americans in Houston in 2000, it now has branches in sixstates. The mission of Raindrop is to introduce Turkish culture toAmerican society, to cultivate intercultural friendship, and to promoteintercultural understanding through dialog, cooperation, and its uniqueservices to the community.

Watch Videos from Turkic Fest 2009 on YouTube 

View full photo set on Flickr!