SAFECO INSURANCE FESTAL: TURKFEST to Run, 10/17 & 10/18

Folk dances, a fashion show, Turkish music, shadow puppetry, art and textiles, Turkish foods and more celebrate the multiple cultures that link modern Turkey to the East and West at Safeco Insurance Festál: TurkFest - Turkish Cultural Festival, Oct. 17, 12 noon - 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 18, 12 noon - 6 p.m. at Center House and Fisher Pavilion Roof.

From the Hittites and Assyrians to the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, Turkish culture forms a unique mosaic centered in one of the most dynamic regions of the world.  At TurkFest 2009, "Cultural Reflections of Nature," festival-goers will learn how cultural and natural elements shape the daily lives of people in and around Turkey.

 Center House stage features continuous entertainment, including: the award-winning Silk Road Dance Company of Washington, DC; Seattle's own Turkish folk dance group, Anadolu; and Turkish pop music Group Bosphorus and Musiki Parea from Vancouver, BC accompanying the Vancouver Turkish Choir.

 The Festival's version of the legendary Grand Bazaar in Istanbul offers jewelry, scarves, carpets and other Turkish items for sale, along with travelogues, cooking demonstrations and Turkish coffees served in an impressive yurt.

Harrison Street Gallery exhibits the work of two Turkish artists, Oct. 15 - 18. Baris Koca is a nature and wildlife photographer and Sule Dincel, a painter, uses watercolor to depict the brightness and darkness of people's flesh and souls.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, born in Cleveland, Ohio to Turkish parents, has garnered a reputation as one of America's most informed and insightful medical doctors. He is known through his regular appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show and network news programs, newly hosts his own show, and as chief medical consultant to Discovery Communications. He has authored over 400 original publications and received several patents. He performs over 350 heart operations annually at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Oz was elected as a "Global Leader of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum, won the prestigious American Association for Thoracic Surgery Gross Research Scholarship, and has received an honorary doctorate from Istanbul University

Opportunities to join the festivities at Safeco Insurance Festál are available, by become a culture carrier (someone who contributes to cultural understanding through the sharing of stories, songs, music, food and family traditions). This festival is produced by Turkfest and Seattle Center. For more information on Safeco Insurance Festál and other Seattle Center programming, click on www.seattlecenter.com.

Safeco Insurance Festál, presented by Seattle Center in partnership with community organizations, is a year-long series of FREE events that honors the cultural richness and diversity of the Pacific Northwest. Safeco Insurance Festál plays a vital part in Seattle Center efforts to connect our dynamic and varied communities.

This collection of 22 events is presented with the generous support of Safeco Insurance, Wells Fargo, Verizon Wireless and KUOW 94.9 Public Radio. Additional support is provided by The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, The Boeing Company, Seattle Center Foundation and the City of Seattle.

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