By James Cullum
alexandrianews.org
Rain or shine – The City of Alexandria’s Annual Cambodian Community Day Festival Was A Success
Sunday afternoon Ben Brenman Park was filled with performers, vendors and hundreds of visitors were interrupted by a strong rainstorm around 2:30 p.m. People ran to their cars and under tents for cover for cover. The wind and rain turned over one tent, but there was no real damage.
“This kind of weather, the humidity and then the rain, is just like home,” said Alexandrian Pete Sakun, a Cambodian American who attended the festival.
“The rain sure helped the temperature.”
The theme for this year’s festival was “Discover Cambodia.” Entertainment included the Cambodian Mohoree Music Ensemble, classical dance, folk dance and the Stung Khiev band. “I am going to dance what is called the ‘Dance of Sentimentality’,” said Bonavy Chhim, who dances for Cambodian American Heritage, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Cambodian arts and culture.
“It’s the story of a prince and a princess and it’s always performed by two women. This time, I’m the prince.”
Gary Marco, who emceed the event and is Executive Director of Cambodian American Heritage, Inc. The Cambodian dance tradition is over 1,000 years old. That means that it predates the United States of America by a whole bunch. And somehow, some way they have kept up their dancing tradition with such a troubled past in Southeast Asia. So, we should recognize them for that,” Marco said.
The Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, and the Cambodian Community Day Committee co-sponsored the festival.
