This weekend, Friday the 17th through Sunday the 19th, the annual Living Traditions Festival took place in downtown Salt Lake City. It is a celebration that includes “diverse artistic traditions” and “the unique qualities of various cultures” through art, dance, food, and performance. (Source; https://saltlakearts.org/programs/living-traditions-festival). Attending is free, and you can support small businesses as well as many cultural traditions by purchasing from the festival’s vendors.
2024 Craft Artists participating in Living Traditions:
- Alli Arocho: Puerto Rican Vejigante Masks
- Ana Brooks: Mata Ortiz Pottery
- Brent Kartchner: Woodcarving
- Chue Thao: Hmong Embroidery
- Clara Amezcua: Mexican Pinatas
- Claudine Niyonsenga & Eugenia Barigenera: Burundian Baskets
- Diane and Julia Moffat: Armenian Hand-Knotted Carpets
- Donato Raimondo: South Sudanese Clay Bulls
- Ecologic Arts: Peruvian Weaving
- Edwin Napia & Rad Cuch: Maori Arts & Northern Ute Beadwork
- Elizabeth Peterson: Bobbin Lace
- Elvira Murphy: Native American Beadwork
- Ferrell Peterson: Western Woodcarving
- Frances Rogers, Amanda Ontiveros, Kristina Martinez: Mexican Paper Flowers
- Freeze Rawhide: Traditional Cowboy Crafts
- Halau Ku Pono I Kamalani: Hawaiin Leis & Crafts
- Ingrid Hersman: European-Style Decorated Eggs
- Kalani Tukuafu: Pacific Island Patterns & Designs
- Katherine Poleviyaoma: Acoma Pueblo Pottery & Hopi Arts
- Ken Yamane & Judy Iwamoto: Japanese Origami & Bonsai
- Maria Elena Lowe: Mayan Weaving
- Marla Love & Arte Primero: Mexican Day of the Dead Art
- Nikolay Motro: Belarusian Woodcarving
- Puruha Arts: Ecuadorian Wood & Nut Carving
- Rispah Otieno: Kenyan Jewelry & Craft
- Rupali Munot: Indian Henna Art
- Saniya Qadeer: Henna Body Tattoo Art
- Shar Wu: Chinese Calligraphy & Painting
- Tonahani Beadwork & Sewing: Navajo, Ute, & Hopi Beadwork & Sewing
- Walker Custom Boots: Western Boot Making
- Zeynap Kariparduc: Turkish Crafts
- Zulma Arevalo: Latin American Folk Jewelry
See more about the particpating artists here!
2024 Performing Artists participating in Living Traditions:
- Academia Mis Raices
- Afroflexaz
- Anton Family Band
- BAFODACH – Bailes y Folclore Danzas Chile
- Balkanska Kitka
- Ballet Folklorico de Las Americas
- Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl
- Ballet Folklorico Tutulli
- Bazeen
- Bomba Marile
- Brazuca Band
- Callanish
- Celtic Country Dancers
- Chitrakaavya Dance
- De Colores
- Dhauli – Utah Odia Community
- Dionysios Greek Dancers
- Divya School of Dance
- Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie
- Grupo Folklorico Tierra de Fuego
- Grupo Fuego Tropical
- Hakan Utah Ecuador
- Halau Ku Pono I Kamalani
- Hopi Dance Group
- James Romero Y Los Amigos
- Kargi Kala Kendra
- Kechi – Utah Turkish American Association
- Kenshin Taiko
- Khemera Dance Troupe
- KUD Rastko Serbian Dancers
- Kulturang Pilipino Ensemble of Utah
- Los Hermanos de Los Andes
- Madhu Sravanthi
- Malialole Polynesian Cultural Arts Ensemble
- Mariachi Fuego
- MV Caldera
- Native Generations
- Neon Nativez
- Nepalese Association of Utah
- New Zealand American Society – Hiona
- Nuevas Raices Bolivia
- Oaxaca en Utah
- P & M Productions Powwow
- Raag & Taal
- Rangtaali – Gujarati Folk Dance Group
- Red Branch
- Rinceoiri Don Spraoi Irish Dancers
- Rio Bravo Conjunto Los Castillos
- Robb “Little Owl” Martin
- Salt Lake Capoeria
- Salt Lake Chinese Dance Art
- Salt Lake Scandinavian Music & Dance
- South Sudanese Neur Dancers
- Swarajya Dhol Pathak
- Tausala School of Dance
- Thai Association of Utah
- The Dunmore Lasses
- The Music of Chris Dokos
- Ty Allison
- Ulhaas – Bengali Association of Utah
- Utah Argentina Alliance
- Utah Punjabi Arts Academy
- Utah Sacred Harp Singers
- Utah Tibetan Association
- Utah’ko Trisklariak
- UtahSalso.com
- Venezuela Cantando
- Viva Mexico Ballet
- Viva Peru Dance
- Wasatch Alphorns
- Wasatch and District Pipe Band
- WSU Ballet Folklorico
- Yudy Munoz
2024 Food Vendors participating in Living Traditions:
- Antojitos Peruanos
- Asociacian de Colombianos en El Exterior – Utah
- Basque Club of Utah
- Centro Civico Mexicano
- Italian American Civic League of Utah
- Kubu Express
- Mama Africa
- Namash Swahili Cuisine
- National Tongan American Society
- Nepalese Association of Utah
- Pakistani Association
- Saint Archangel Micheal Serbian Orthodox Church
- Thai Association of Utah – No1 Thai Fusion
- Utah Argentina Alliance
- Utah Chinese Association
- Utah Tibetan Association
- Utah Ukranian Community
- Vietnamese Youth Association
Support Utah’s local cultures, and visit Living Traditions in Washington and Library Square this weekend!
All photos were taken by Samantha Sorensen in May 2023.
