Wheatridge, Co. Colorado Folk Arts Council ( CFAC)

Wheatridge, Co. Colorado Folk Arts Council ( CFAC)

The CFAC is celebrating 47 years of honoring folk dancing in Colorado with their annual International Heritage Festival / Oktoberfest on Sept. 8th, 9th, and 10th at Anderson Park in Wheatridge, Colorado (4355 Field St.) with music, crafts, food, dance and German music.

CFAC is Colorado’s oldest multi-cultural arts non-profit. It was founded by iconic international folk dancer, instructor, and choreographer Vytautas Finadar "Vyts" Beliajus and members of many of the cultural organizations in Colorado in 1968 to promote and preserve all forms of the Folk Arts.

CFAC president Ron Gehuaf stated “The Cultural folk dance movement developed in the immigrant communities of the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century as a way for immigrant communities to maintain a cultural tie to their native communities. While traditional dances such as polkas, branles, and others had been done internationally for hundreds of years, the creation of international folk dance here is attributed to Vyts, a Lithuanian -American who had studied, taught, and performed dances from various ethnic traditions since the 1930s.” Gehuaf added “Vyts along with contemporaries, such as Chinese illustrator and folk dancer Song Chang, saw folk dancing as a conduit to create an appreciation and understanding of diverse cultures. The International Heritage Festival was first organized to celebrate Colorado’s Centennial and proudly continues this legacy annually.”

The festival features dance groups representing a wide range of cultures from Mexico, India, Germany, Lithuania Scandinavia, Africa and Native America and many others.

“We even have had hip-hop for the younger generations” laughed Gehuaf. “It is a festival for everyone. The CFAC strives to embrace the incredible diversity of our state and promote the vision Vyts had for us as a nation, in which all cultures were celebrated and valued.”

Free and open to the public-Family Friendly

For more information/complete schedule of events visit: https://internationalheritagefestivaloktoberfest.org/

Supporters include Jeff-Co SCFD, Chicano Humanities Arts Council, MSU Denver Chicana/o Studies Journey Through Our Heritage, Community First Foundation & Community ACTS Fund, City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Cultural Commission