Parade of Nations and NATOFest
April 28, 2014
We started with the Parade of Nations downtown -- 28 NATO member states each decorated a giant float with symbols of their countries (did anybody else know that Belgium was home to the Smurfs? Because I didn't until I saw the people in Smurf costumes on the back of their float, posing next to a giant vat of chocolate, natch). We especially appreciated the Spanish contingent, with the women in their bright flamenco dresses, and the United Kingdom float, complete with Beatles, James Bond, and a Dalek. In between there were bands, drummers, dance teams, and not one but two bagpiper contingents, one coming all the way from Oman.
After the parade, we walked over to Town Point Park to explore NATO Village. Volunteers were handing out mini passports for the kids, and Anouk and I stopped to get a stamp at each country's booth. AND to pick up some swag -- the swag was maybe the best part of the whole event (at least for me, I cannot resist a good gift bag). Some booths were giving away candy from their countries, others maps and posters, stickers, and miniature flags. Anouk collected the flags for her Barbie dream house, which now has a really impressive international flair. I scored a giant map of Paris that I can't wait to hang up in my craft room, and a book of beautiful photographs of the fjords of Norway for my sis. (J. walked away with probably the coolest freebie of the day, a beer couzie from the Albania tent, and it's pretty neat, I have to admit. We're all a little jealous.) There were food trucks, music, a beer garden, and a wiener dog costume contest, because nothing really says global cooperation like dachshunds dressed in military uniforms, does it?
The next NATOFest won't be until 2015, but Norfolk's Allied Command Transformation holds other events throughout the year (such as ODU's International Festival last month). Click here for more info on upcoming events, and to learn a little more about ACT in general.
3 comments
How funnnnn. We recently took Little Miss Whimsy to her first parade. She loved it. Especially since they were passing out candy.
ReplyDeleteCandy is a big hit! I think Anouk will always feel favorably about Iceland from here on out (they were handing out lollipops).
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