Although my spouse and I are of Japanese and Japanese-America ancestry, we had made plans this last weekend to attend the 2008 Finnish-American Folk Festival in Naselle, WA July 25-27.Left: Swede Finnish author Agnes Rands Warren. Photo by Mizu Sugimura.
Agnes Rands Warren, author of Where The Huckleberries Grow (2000), Linden Press, a dramatized family history relating the experience of her immigrant parents in the Pacific Northwest, and its sequel Even Seagulls Cry (2005) Linden Press, covering life on the Home Front from 1939-1946, was just one of the interesting speakers during cultural programming at the bi-annual event.
During the short break in the vendors room Warren was asked to share a little about her books. She said it became increasingly important as the years went by to honor the legacy of her Finnish and Swede Finnish parents and their generation by preserving and passing-on some of the events and stories associated with their respective experiences in the United States as a gift to the young people in her family and the community at large.
As researching and recording what is available of my own family and ethnic roots has been a lifelong interest since grade school days when I asked for the history of my own grandparents journey to the United States as a child, only to be told my folks, aunts and uncles didn't know the details because "No one thought to ask" during the days they were coming up, Warren is a woman after my own heart.
Hubby and I had a lovely time during our visit to the festival in Naselle and highly recommend it when it returns to the Southwest Washington event again in 2010. For more 2008 festival pictures and more detailed information about the events in Naselle, this link will take you to my personal blog.
Below: Fresh festival floral decor colorfully echoes the clever theme the 2008 festival which was "Knee Deep In Finns" and a darling illustration of just that - by local artist Debbi Littlefield was featured prominently on festival posters, t-shirts and other publicity for the past two years. Photo copyright 2008 by Mizu Sugimura.
