All Nations Cup isn't just about the soccer on the fields, it's also a Cultural Festival unlike any other in the northwest with the sights, sounds, and aromas of the globe! Below are just some of the great All Nations Cup Festival attractions this year, and with our festival growing everyday, there is sure to be something to fascinate everyone in your family! So be sure to make some time to check out our festival events and find your next favorite passion at All Nations Cup!
The World Stage:
All Nations Cup comes alive with performances of World Music and Dance on the World Stage! Scheduled between the games, local performers and musician and have a chance to represent their country on the stage bringing a taste of their culture and traditions to the festival attendees. From the soul-filled tones of traditional Chinese song to the festive rhythms of Senegalese drumming, the unity of traditional Irish step dancers to the fluid movements of Korean fan dance, the World Stage brings the sights, sounds and energy of the world to our back yard.
International Marketplace:
Located in the center of the festival, the International Marketplace provides All Nations Cup a venue where local craft vendors and non-profit organizations are able to sell crafts, baked goods, or other cultural items, as well as share their craft or organization with our many visitors. It’s a great place to do outreach for your organization, sell your handmade crafts, or bring a bit of old world bazaars to the northwest as a vendor. Or as a shopper to try exotic cookies from halfway around the world, or to pick up that great gift that they will never expect. It’s like taking a whirlwind tour around the word all in less then an hour.
All Nations Art Exhibition and Photo Exhibition:
After the great premier in 2007—with pieces from 26 amazing artists from 16 countries—the latest All Nations Cup favorite will be retuning in 2008 with more art pieces specially created for All Nations Cup, in a variety of mediums, evoking the array of emotions and passions tied to soccer the world over.
And this year in addition to the Art Exhibition, Sister Communities will also be expanding into the art form of photography as well with the All Nations Cup Photo Exhibition. Featuring the work of six hand-selected photographers living in the Greater Seattle area, the All Nations Cup Photo Exhibit will celebrate our common humanity through the images of the world.
Mapa Mundi Project:
And if that wasn’t enough, the All Nations Cup Mapa Mundi will be unveiled at All Nations Cup 2008. With more then 50 countries and 20,000 individuals involved in All Nations Cup there is a great wealth of rich stories at our event. To celebrate the diversity of our community, Sister Communities is creating a 12’ by 21’ vinyl map of the world where the continents are formed from a quilt of roughly 3,000 photos donated by members of our communities—their parties, weddings, funerals, picnics, their families and friends, those left behind as they moved to the United States to start a new life.
All Nations International Food Tent:
Bringing the amazing smells and mouthwatering tastes of the globe to the fields, the All Nations International Food Tent is a sure stop for anyone who loves to sample unique tastes, or just flat-out loves great food. The 2008 theme is “Stews form a Little Planet,” with eight main courses from eight different regions of the world to choose from, as well as fresh salads, sides, breads, fresh juices and deserts. It’s a worldwide feast! And if you just can’t imagine never tasting one of our dishes again, all the recipes will be featured in our first ever “All Nations Cup Cookbook” which is sure to become a mainstay in any kitchen.
ANC Freestyle Soccer Competition
The first and only Freestyle Soccer Competition in the Northwest returns! A true highlight of the festival, the Freestyle Soccer Competition is the ultimate showcase of ball mastery, with players showcasing their individual ball skills. With two brackets for youths and one open bracket for adults, everyone has a chance to compete and show off their skills. The contestants amazed the crowd last year with jaw dropping ball-tricks and their gravity defying juggling skills, but the 2008 competition is sure to make that last year’s moves seem like child’s play!
All Nations Cup Youth Tournament:
For the first time this year our Young Players will have a chance to be the stars on the field as they compete in the All Nations Cup Youth Tournament. Comprised of two age brackets of four team—Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe, the Youth Tournament is molded after a mini-World Cup, but with kids of all backgrounds playing together representing a team. It’s a great chance for the kids to make new friends, sharpen their skills, and get a taste if what it’s like to be in the real thing.
All Nations Theater Festival:
With the great reception of the debut of “Women Can’t Play,” a theater piece written for and inspired by All Nations Cup, the All Nations Theater Festival is expanding for 2008. With encore performances last year’s plays as well as new additions such as Irish playwright Mary Jones’ acclaimed “A Night in November” in venues all around the Puget Sound, you don’t have an excuse not to see a performance. And after select shows there will be Q & A sessions with the playwrights so you can get a deeper understanding of their work.
All Nations Film Festival:
True to its principals our open-air film festival is growing with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. In 2008 All Nations Film Festival will be featuring a variety of films from the Basque Country of Spain to the Louisiana Bayou of the United States, giving our festival goers a looks into areas of they world they many have never heard of, and lives that they have never know. And as when the films begin the All Nations Cup Beer and Wine Gardner will be open as well, so fans and players can sit back, have a glass and relax after a long day of games.
