========================================================================================
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
========================================================================================
***************************************************

Monday, September 7 (Labor Day)

LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART

2 free Concerts betwen 12:30 and 3:00 pm
LACMA's Plaza

http://www.lacma.org/programs/FamilyDaysIntro.aspx

***************************************************

***************************************************

October 16 - 17, 2009

Italian Folklore Conference and Festival Banquet in Las Vegas

The Italian Folk Art Federation of America (IFAFA) is proud to be hosting
its annual conference and the colorful Festa Folcloristica Italiana at the
Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, October 16 to 17, 2009. At the annual
conference of the Italian Folk Art Federation of America, Italian folk groups
from throughout the United States gather to share folk songs, dances, customs
and heritage.
During the two-day conference, participants will choose from workshops on
Italian folk dance and music, and traditional Italian folk instruments, costumes,
and crafts. Several authentic Italian folk dances will be taught. There are
costume and instrument exhibitions, as well as demonstrations of the playing
of folk instruments; guest speakers, artists and instructors; and discussions on
various subjects related to folk art and future projects. It is a gathering that
brings together people with a common cause -- to keep alive the Italian folk
heritage in America. One does not have to be Italian to participate.
The conference culminates with the Saturday evening Festa Folcloristica Italiana.
The Festa begins with a three-course dinner, an exhibition of authentic Italian folk
costumes, and a presentation of folk song and dance performances by Italian folk
troupes from across the United States and guests performers from Italy, followed
by social dancing until midnight.
The Festa Folcloristica Italiana will be held in the Riviera Hotel's "Top of the
Riviera" Ballroom overlooking the lively Las Vegas Strip, beginning at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $50 per person. They must be purchased in advance and meal choice
must be indicated. Guests for the banquet do not need to enroll for the entire
conference.
IFAFA is a non-profit cultural and educational organization whose goal is to
encourage interest and participation in the colorful folk arts of Italy. IFAFA
researches the full range of traditional Italian culture and serves as a resource for
the preservation of Italian folk art in the United States. IFAFA is also a member
of the Federazione Italiana di Tradizioni Popolari (Italian Federation of Popular
Traditions) in Rome, Italy.
Participants are invited to attend the Festa Folcloristica Italiana or the entire
conference. Full conference registration is $150.00 general; $110.00 age 22 and
under. The early registration deadline is August 1, 2009, after which the registration
price goes up $25.00 per person. Special IFAFA conference hotel room rates are
available at the Riviera for $99.00 per night for conference attendees.
For further information or to register and make reservations, please visit the website
of the Italian Folk Art Federation of America at <http://www.italianfolkartfederation.org/>
or contact Meri DeLorenzo in Las Vegas at (702) 327-9386 or <italianfolk@lycos.com>.

========================================================================================
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
========================================================================================