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2019 Family Festival Series Recap

/ Kids and Families

The BMA is proud to bring diverse communities together to share in one another’s heritage during our quarterly heritage festivals. During the 2019 season, 5,578 visitors joined us to celebrate cultures and traditions from around the world.

We kicked off the season in January with the Japanese Heritage Festival, inspired by our Japanese art collection. Visitors of all ages enjoyed a variety of activities, including a special Sailor Moon-themed scavenger hunt in the galleries, hands-on brush painting, paper-lantern making, and an anime screening in the Steiner Auditorium. The highlight of the day was a traditional tea ceremony demonstration by the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Birmingham Association.

Over 2,400 people joined us in March for the 9th Annual Holi Festival, the Indian Celebration of Color. Guests filled the auditorium for traditional Bollywood and classical dance performances, and enjoyed tasty dishes from Taj India and the Hyderabad Dum Zone food truck. The day concluded with the traditional throwing of the colors in the Museum’s parking lot.

In June, we celebrated the vibrant cultures found throughout the African diaspora at our African Heritage Festival. The event featured a powerful performance by Atlanta-based African drumming and dance group Giwayen Mata. Guests explored the African art gallery, enjoyed delicious African cuisine from Catering By LaNetta, and made their own African art-inspired crafts throughout the day.

Our final festival of the year was our Annual Latinx Heritage Festival in November. Miami Fusion Cafe hosted a pop-up restaurant, and guests enjoyed tours and storytelling in both Spanish and English.

As we look back on an incredible year, we hope you will make plans to join us for the 2020 Family Festival series!

The 2018-2019 Family Festivals Series is presented by Medical Properties Trust.