Annual Othello International Festival Brings the World to Rainier Valley
Acclaimed as one of the most authentic multicultural festivals in Seattle, the annual Othello International Festival will convene again this year on Sunday, August 11 from noon to 6:00PM.
Known to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the nation, the Rainier Valley is home to speakers of over 59 different languages from China to Somalia, from the Philippines to Samoa and across the world. The Othello International Festival brings these communities together to share their music, dance, and artistic traditions under a high canopy of trees in the pastoral setting of Othello Park. Booths feature local businesses, community organizations, and multi-cultural food vendors surrounding the Park’s beautiful meadow where a dance floor invites attendees to join in the fun and learn from one another.
The Park is located just one short block from the Othello light rail station. Besides filling the Park, the festivities will spill across Othello Street onto the Holly Park Community Church grounds where the Seattle Police Department will be holding its annual picnic.
Over recent years, Othello has come to be identified by this unique event with its colorful array of traditional costumes, dance, music, gymnastics, martial arts, giant puppets, petting zoo with camel, big bouncy houses, ethnic food trucks, art creation stations where participants can create their own art works to take home. “Othello without its Othello International Festival would be like Munich without its October Fest,” said Dick Burkhart, a long time Othello neighborhood activist. “There are lots of fun things happening in our Park these days, but this International Festival is an annual signature event that brings the whole community together.”
A visitor from London once said of the Othello International Festival, “I came here, and I saw the world.” Truly this event is a tiny microcosm of what should be happening on the entire planet. It is a coming together of people from many nationalities to be together as one community sharing their art, music, dance, and cultural pride.
The Family FunZone: Presented by 106.1 KISS FM, this area is located inside the Bite of Seattle®, surrounding the Artists at Play playground structure near the MoPOP, which features an imaginative outdoor play area with a huge climbing structure, musical instruments & a roundabout merry-go-round. Family-friendly vendors include face-painting, bubble wands, plus enjoy fun food ranging from cookie dough and cupcakes to tacos and mini donuts, and so much more.
The Bite Cooks! is also thrilled to welcome Thai Select featured chefs, who will bring the flavors and aromas of Thai cuisine into their cooking demonstration dish, and, also infuse them into mystery ingredient cook-off challenges. Thai Select chefs featured include Jutamas Kanjanamai (Bai Tong), Aratana Nualkhar and Jindanat Nualkhair (Araya’s Place), plus Kasem Saengsawang (Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine).
Friends of Waterfront Seattle is the City of Seattle’s nonprofit partner helping to build the future Waterfront Park and ensure its lasting success. Following the public-benefit partnership model, we educate the public about the park and its benefits, raise philanthropic funds to build the park, and partner with the City to manage, fund, and program the park long-term. Our goal is to make the central waterfront a public mixing ground where all communities can share cultural, recreational, and civic experiences in a beautiful environment. Waterfront Seattle / Friends is a founding member of the High Line Network, a movement in cities across the world to reclaim underutilized infrastructure and reimagine it as public space. Explore the future park at our project showroom, Waterfront Space, located at 1400 Western Avenue in Seattle, and open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
