Beginning October 4th, and ending Saturday, October 7th the Stafford Centre for performing arts will be hosting the first annual Silk Road Festival. Some of us may have learned about The Silk Road (also known as the Silk Route) when we were in middle school; but really, the significance of this ancient trade route is sadly undermined and narrowly skimmed in the classroom. The Silk Road Festival hopes to write in what has been blotted out in our historical textbooks. And although the festival has already commenced, there are still three more days to attend.
Bringing together touring acts from six paramount countries along The Silk Road, the festival will provide an opportunity to learn about the contemporary and past culture of what has been regarded as humanities first international market. Six different stages designated to represent each nation (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) will showcase music, dance, folklore, and photography. Foods that sojourns ate nearly fifteen-thousand years ago will be prepared to nourish attendees through out the entire day.
For all those interested in craft making, this will be an especially intriguing event. Along with jewelry, hand made clothing and baskets, and stone carving, the event will display the art of filigree. Filigrees or filagrees are miniature gold and silver statuesque structures constructed from small beads and wire. Fastened together by long laborious hours of weaving, bending, and manipulating, these artifacts were some of the most sought after inventions of Westerners reaching the Eastern hemisphere of The Silk Route. Modern filigree makers will not only be selling their pieces at the festival, but will demonstrate part of the filagree making process to those interested.
The Stafford Centre is located at 1050 Cash Rd. Stafford Texas, 77477. Tickets are on sell at www.silkroadfest.org. General admission for one day is ten dollars. Tickets for the full four-day event are fifteen dollars.
Families are encouraged to bring out their children so that they may also share in this grand culture experience.
