STEEPED IN HISTORY: FESTIVAL IS A LESSON IN ARMENIAN CULTURE FOR ALL.
Liana Aghajanian

Burbank Leader
entertainment/blr-armenian050510.txt
May 5 2010
CA

Traditional folk dancing and the pungent aroma of Armenian cuisine
filled every corner of Glendale’s Civic Auditorium over the weekend,
but it was the independent organizations, historic cultural displays
and a diverse ethnic audience that added a vibrant dimension to the
ninth annual Armenian Festival.

Organized by the Armenian Relief Society’s Western chapter, the
festival was a two-day celebration of the organization’s centennial
year.

For co-organizer Emma Garabetian, who publicized the event in a handful
of publications, it was a chance to introduce the general population
to the culture.

"We have to work with the Glendale community, not only the Armenian
community," she said. "When they come and see us at this event,
we will be closer and can work much better together."

advertisement Nabin Panda and his wife, originally from India, were
invited by an Armenian friend and had never been to such a festival.

"I’ve been trying to come to this for the last three years," said
Panda, who lives in Signal Hill and attends the Self-Realization
Fellowship Glendale Temple on Chevy Chase Drive.

"I wanted to explore the culture, food and dance."

Winnie Jang, who lives in Arcadia and is of Asian descent, attended
for similar reasons.

"I like to see and experience different cultures and people," she
said. "The traditional dance is amazing; it opened my eyes."

Jang wished the festival had a public relations point person as well
as a travel agency booth for non-Armenian attendees.

"We want to travel to Armenia, but we don’t know where to start and
who to approach," she said. "I hope there can be more media and more
material to let other kinds of people join Armenians and understand."

In addition to performances by popular Armenian singers, the festival
showcased organizations like the Armenian Philatelic Assn., dedicated
to Armenian-themed stamp collecting.

One of the organization’s displays highlighted Russian cultural icon
Artem Mikoyan, co-creator of the MiG military aircraft.

The association has been coming to the event for years, encouraging
younger generations to take up the specialized hobby of stamp
collecting, said President Marina Shahbazian. The association, which
boasts many active members in Glendale and Burbank, brought in Armenian
stamp dealer Armen Hovsepian from Kansas for the festival.

Organizations like Friends of New Julfa came to the festival to bring
awareness of Armenian culture in other countries, said Glendale
resident Aslan Abcarian. Occupied by Armenians for more than 400
years, New Julfa in Iran still has Armenian schools and churches,
including the Vank Cathedral, which houses ancient texts and artifacts.

The Anahid Fund, which promotes population growth in Armenia, attended
the festival to bring awareness to their cause.

"We have had almost 1,900 kids born under this program, and we are
celebrating our 10-year anniversary," said Anahid Fund President
Nazeli Charchian of Glendale.

The festival also showcased unique cultural exhibits — one of which
was Mania Badmagrian’s intricate embroidery of Armenian-inspired
designs.

Badmagrian, who is also the owner of Mania’s Passport and Visa Services
in Glendale, considers her award-winning handwork a hobby.

"This is what I’m doing in the evening to run away from everything;
it’s my therapy," she said.

Badmagrian sees the festival as a great addition to the city and was
pleasantly surprised at the varied crowd in attendance.

"It’s very important for people to know the positive part of Armenians,
and for us to make it known, it’s not always about the negative
things," she said.

La Crescenta resident Sophia Baboomian agrees.

"We are a peace-loving people, and we would like to acclimate ourselves
in the community," she said. "From watching things like City Council
meetings, people still don’t know much about the Armenian community,
and this is another side, which is rich in food and culture."

Using the festival as a way to connect communities, Garabetian said
now is the time for Armenians to get involved and make an impact in
cities like Glendale.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress