Local Colors Tasty and Fun

Last weekend's Local Colors in Elmwood Park in Roanoke was a really good excuse to get out and eat some ethnic food. Admittedly, what that meant was that - unless one of the many nations represented there had food or drink of some kind - I wasn't very likely to approach the booth. But hear me out.

I'm as extroverted as the next, well, extrovert. But a collection of people in their national garb sitting behind a booth on which rests pamphlets and a few pictures doesn't exactly act like a tractor beam for me. I'm sure they were a wealth of knowledge on their respective countries, but as booth after booth sans food or drink remained largely empty, I knew I wasn't alone in my tendencies.

The Viking tent had shields, swords, and other relevant objects, which drew in some of the more intrepid kids. The various musical talents on stage - from Native American to Lithuanian to hip-hop - was what really kept people hanging out.

At the advice of a friend who was working a booth selling Scottish fare, I tried the Lebanese food, and was glad for it.

The rain came and went sporadically, making wanderers gather under trees in lieu of hiding under booths where bored but eager gurus on myriad foreign countries unintentionally kept all but the most gregarious at arm's length.

There were some booths with wares other than the edible kind, which seemed a sound enough excuse to approach for the potentially apprehensive. After dessert from the Mexico stand, I was strapped for cash, but perused a few booths' goods if only to make those working the stands feel purposeful.

For someone unaware of how varied our demographics are in the valley, the event reflected a positive, diverse environment, and was especially pertinent and beneficial for kids.