Tom Lynch

The Middle East is soggy.

Tents stand erected, covering the damp and puddled woodchips on Block 37 at the corner of Dearborn and Washington streets. But last night's aggressive rainstorm hasn't collapsed today's "From the Middle East to the Midwest" festival, produced by Genesis at the Crossroads to bring unity through the arts. A five-dollar donation gets you in, where vendors sell Middle Eastern crafts and jewelry, kids listen to professional storytellers, and audiences witness dancing and music on the stage set up in the northeast corner. Henna booths are set up throughout. The deep puddles, like creeks in the center of downtown, seem to only bring in more and more, as walkers pass by, get caught, and enter. It's exactly what master of ceremonies, and Chicago's guy in Hollywood, Harold Ramis, predicted.

"I just think the foot traffic is enormous," says Ramis. "It's so visible, in the middle of downtown." Back in January, Ramis met with Genesis at the Crossroads' founder Wendy Sternberg and brainstormed an idea to create a festival of peace and art, that brings together all communities. Crossroads, a Chicago-based nonprofit that showcases art from the Middle East and North Africa at events throughout the year, found the idea perfect. "It occurred to me that this would be a great site for a Middle Eastern bazaar," Ramis says of the Block 37 lot. "I was excited from the beginning, and, being a semi-public figure around here, it thought I'd come down and host it."

The overcast sky serves as a backdrop as band Trio Mazan takes the stage. The vocalist tells the story of how a young boy was wounded by stray rubber bullets during an Israeli firefight. This is the subject matter for their next song, translated from Persian to English as "Time for Peace." Next, Silk Road Dance Company displays its intricately designed, brightly colored costumes and performs two new pieces, attracting a bigger crowd.

But the best is the camel. Set up at the south end of the fest, visitors can donate to ride a camel, right there in the middle of the city. Two little boys, a small girl, and their grandmother fit on the animal's hump and stroll around the camp, posing for pictures. "I just thought it would be amazing to have camel rides down State Street," laughs Ramis. "I think this is all really great. Because you know, a lot of the conflict between the Middle Eastern culture and Western society seems to be post-political, beyond ideology. And the great thing about music, food, dance and art is all that transcends politics to where people are most human. That's the place where the two cultures should meet."

(2004-08-31)

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