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Turkfest will take place on October 12: 11am-6pm & October 13: 11am-5pm at the Armory Food & Event Hall. The festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. It is free and open to the public. More information to come.

Seattle Center Festál is a year-round series of 24 free cultural festivals, produced in partnership with community organizations. In 2022, Festál celebrated 25 years of stories and traditions, ushering in a new era of hybrid programming. Learn more about Festál and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.

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EVENT SCHEDULE - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

ARMORY STAGE

Time Performance Description
12:00pm Welcome to Turkfest 2024!
12:05pm Rose Ann Lopez, Facilities, Planning & Operations Director, Seattle Center Speech
12:20pm Turkish 101 Workshop
12:50pm Anadolu Turkish Folk Dancers Folk Dance
1:30pm Turkish Food Competition
1:50pm Eurasia Art Ensemble Live Music/Dance
2:35pm Tülin'le Yıldızların Altında Live Music
3:15pm Anadolu Turkish Folk Dancers Folk Dance
3:40pm Swimming in Türkiye Presentation
4:00pm Sehr-i Seattle Live Music
5:00pm Ahmet Serkan Live Music
6:00pm Closing

ARMORY LOFTS: Kids' Corner

Time Performance
12:00pm - 1:30pm Face Frame Photo Prop Making
2:00pm - 2:30pm Face Painting
3:00pm - 3:30pm Story Time
3:30pm - 4:00pm Games & Art
4:00pm - 5:00pm Karagoz & Hacivat
ALL-DAY Painting, Drawing, Puzzles, Jewelry Making, Weaving, Arts & Crafts, and more

EVENT SCHEDULE - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

ARMORY STAGE

Time Performance Description
11:40am Welcome to TurkFest 2024!
12:00pm ATA-WA Kids Choir Music
12:30pm KUD Behar Folk Dance
12:50pm Turkish Food Competition
1:10pm Deli Dumrul Folk Theatre
1:30pm Defne Atsüren Live Music
2:00pm Black Sea Dance with Izumi Uve Music/Dance
2:30pm Rain or Shine Youth Folklore Folk Dance
2:50pm Curcuna Duo Live Music
3:20pm Mevlana Sufi Ensemble Live Music/Dance
3:50pm Trivia Turkish Competition
4:15pm Matt Burhan Özgerçin Live Music
4:30pm MC Delight Presentation
4:45pm Festival Recap & Closing

ARMORY LOFTS: Kids' Corner

Time Performance
12:00pm - 1:30pm Turkish Flag with Little Hands
2:00pm - 2:30pm Story & Song Time
3:00pm - 3:30pm Face Painting
3:30pm - 4:00pm Karagoz & Hacivat
4:00pm - 5:00pm Games & Art
ALL DAY Painting, Drawing, Puzzles, Jewelry Making, Weaving, Arts & Crafts, and more

Photo Gallery

OVERVIEW

Seattle Center Festál presents Turkfest in partnership with the Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington (TACAWA). The festival boasts a lively marketplace, food, music, dance, and more.

Turkfest is an annual cultural festival in Seattle, whose mission is to foster friendship, to highlight the diversity and richness of Turkish culture and Turkish speaking countries, and cooperate throughout the greater community by organizing educational, entertaining, and engaging cultural programs that celebrate Turkish and Turkic cultures and heritage.

HISTORY

This celebration of Turkish culture has grown annually since its inception in 2001, boasting an increasing variety of traditional and contemporary performances, art and textile exhibitions, documentaries, youth activities, cuisine, workshops and genuine Turkish products vendors. The festival takes place in October every year as a part of Turkish Heritage Month celebrations as proclaimed by the Washington State Governor and also covers the celebration of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye on October 29, Seattle Turkish Film Festival, and commemoration of the founding father of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Each year, Turkfest invites dancers, musicians, and artists from around the country and Türkiye to share their artistic forms of expression with local audiences. TACAWA is proud to organize the free cultural event for the enjoyment of the diverse communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Türkiye, throughout its history, has acted as both a crossroads of cultures and a bridge between three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. Istanbul, capital city of three big empires, is the only city in the world located on two continents: Europe and Asia.
  • Turkish coffee is not just a drink; it is an experience with subsequent fortune telling. Turkish coffee’s special preparation, brewing techniques, and rich communal culture made it worthy of being inscribed in 2013 into UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
  • Santa Claus (St. Nicholas) was born and lived in Patara, Türkiye. Türkiye is the birthplace of many historical figures such as King Midas, Herodotus and St.Paul. Sanliurfa in Türkiye is known to be the City of the Prophets where Prophet Abraham, Prophet Job, Prophet Elijah and Prophet Jacob lived. The seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea, are all found in Türkiye.
  • Two of the world's Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are located in Türkiye: Temple of Artemis and Halicarnassus Mausoleum. Noah's Ark landed on Mount Agri in eastern Türkiye.
  • Gobekli Tepe Temple in Türkiye, is the oldest temple built by mankind anywhere in the world. Catalhoyuk in Türkiye is known as the earliest human settlement. The first coinage in human history began in Anatolia, Türkiye.
  • The word 'turquoise' meaning Turkish, was derived from the clear blue of the Mediterranean Sea on the southern Turkish coast.
  • Tulips were first introduced to Europe by the Ottomans and quickly became popular.
  • The names and terms such as Philadelphia, Smyrna, Magnesium, Amazon, Troy, parchment paper, sofa, ottoman, yoghurt, kefir, baklava, shish kebab, doner, shawarma, pita bread, dolma, originated from Türkiye or Turkish culture.
Learn more about Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington (TACAWA).
Visit TACAWA Website

Turkfest Event Details

October 12-13, 2024

Festal Sponsor

Campus Sponsors