July 4/5 Festivities
Amerikafest on July 5
Now live: Check out our photo gallery!
“Welcome home” – the Amerikafest on July 5, 2008 was a huge success and attracted over 300,000 visitors who enjoyed American-German culture, entertainment and food under bright blue summer skies in the heart of the German capital. Celebrating the opening of the new U.S. Embassy at the Brandenburg Gate, the Amerikafest, which was open to the public and free of charge, was a joyous, festive party hosted by the Federation of German-American Clubs e.V. (FGAC) and staged in close cooperation with the U.S. Embassy.
The close relations between Germans and American were showcased and celebrated in many different ways, with the colorful variety of American culture and music taking center stage.
The central location of all festivities was a main stage on Pariser Platz. Comprehensive information programs– ranging from tourism to culture, sports, and education – were presented by various institutions and associations from both sides of the Atlantic at many booths and stands on the Straße des 17. Juni. A special highlight were the information tents presenting various U.S. states and regions – from the Capital Region around the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., to West Virginia and on to Florida and the Deep South.
Some of the artistic highlights of the stage and music program were live acts such as American Soul and Funk music star Jocelyn B. Smith, presenting her new choir “4Bridges”; American Soul and Pop singer Oscar Loya; the German-American barbershop quartet Latest Edition; as well as one of Germany's most successful U.S.-themed entertainment productions, Stars in Concert. The festivities also featured two very special highlights from the U.S., the Check Six US Air Force Jazzband, which has played Swing and Jazz evergreens for more than 60 years, and the Warner Looney Tunes Sportparty with Tweety & Sylvester – two of the most popular American cartoon characters in Germany.
The fascinating variety of American culture was reflected in performances by artists such as Kareem Salama, a Muslim Country singer from the U.S., and the American dance company Ailey ® II.
Links
- photo gallery
- www.amerikafest2008.de
- Dance project Dancing To Connect at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele (pdf flyer)
