Mladen Maric is a Living Traditions Festival volunteer.
"I think it's one of the best festivals in the state of Utah," he said during an interview. "It's not very often there is this kind of quality event that doesn't have barricades or guards. And anyone can come. It's free. It's like a big neighborhood party."The 14th annual Living Traditions Festival once more finds its way to the Salt Lake City and County Building, 400 South and State Street, beginning Friday, May 21, 5-10 p.m.
The festival will continue Saturday, May 22, noon-10 p.m., and Sunday, May 23, noon-7 p.m. Admission is free.
The American Bosnian & Herzegovinian Association will present a program of Bosnian dance and music Saturday on the north stage beginning at 4:15 p.m.
Most of the performers will be children dressed in traditional Bosnian folk dress created by the late Bosnian clothes designer
Adem Jahic.
Maric, a board member of the American Bosnian & Herzegovinian Association, got involved as a festival volunteer last year through festival director Casey Jarman and performing arts coordinator Craig Miller.
"I had known those men before, when I was involved in a performing group called Zivio," said Maric. "And I was involved with the Repertory Dance Theatre, too."
Maric came to the United States in 1973. "I lived in Austria, but my culture is from the area formerly known as Yugoslavia. And the Living Traditions Festival is one way we can show how many different cultures are in Utah."
Maric knows firsthand the importance of preserving cultures. "When I came to America, I didn't know a lot of my Yugoslavian culture because I was raised in Austria. I learned some of my folk dances from Americans who learned them in dance class."
Rizah Dzanic, vice president of the American Bosnian & Herzegovinian Association of Utah, agrees.
"Culture is a big part of the Bosnian people's lives," Dzanic said during an interview in his home. "The young people in Bosnia don't go out to restaurants or movies. Instead they dance and play music."
Dzanic moved to Salt Lake City four years ago from Bosnia. He has been involved with the Living Traditions Festival for three years.
"Each year it gets better," he said. "This year we are focusing mostly on traditional folk dance and dress.
"I love folklore and dance. And this festival is important to me because it educates the community and our own young people about the language, culture, music and dance."
Another thing that pleases Dzanic is the fact that different cultures can come together in the festival to celebrate, not fight about their differences.
"Before, many of us see other cultures only in the movies," he said. "This way, we can experience other cultures first hand."
Dzanic said there are about 5,000 Bosnians in Salt Lake City. "And there are more families that come every day. The festival is not only a way we can bring the Bosnian families together, but also to bring the Salt Lake community together."
Other performing arts programs will be presented by the Sudanese, Tongan, American Indian, Mexican and Vietnamese communities.
Crafts and demonstrations will also be a highlight of the festival. There will be Armenian needlework, Ecuadorian woodcarving, Pueblo pottery and Japanese bonsai trees.
In addition, there will be a little village of food booths. Food from Lebanon, Vietnam, Switzerland, Scotland, Columbia, Philippines, France, Bolivia, Japan and Mexico will be only a few of the many palate-pleasing offerings.