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Chinese dancers prepare for their performance. The green kimonos worn were from directly from China. (Maria Massad) 
- The St. Nicholas Greek Dancers line up for performing. Georgia Johnson, the instuctor, puts much time into preparing the dancers for this festival as well as for the St. Nicholas Greek Festival later in the year. (Maria Massad)
- The sign welcomes all people to the festival. The festival was a success.
Hello! Bonjour! Hola! Γεια σας! ЗдравÑтвуйте! Hej! On the last day of July and the first day of August, in Tower Grove Park, the Festival of Nations showcases the cultures of different regions of the world, highlighting the differences of cultures yet uniting all people from diverse backgrounds as one.
You will hear the music and chatter long before you reach the entrance to the festival. Non-stop ethnic music blares from speakers as you walk through the crowd, nibbling on such ethnic dishes, like baklava, pita, and tortillas.
You walk along the main path and reach the stage. Dancers are performing the tango of Chile while Greek dancers prepare to dance to traditional music. Many people sit on the ground in front of the stage, mesmerized, watching the perfectly choreographed steps of the entertainers.
You decide to watch the Chinese in their brightly colored kimonos rehearse for their turn on the stage, but you become distracted after a while, because you notice crafts at the Indian and Bulgarian booths. Children gather around, making traditional toys. You find the processes fascinating enough that you try to make the crafts yourself.
Finally, after circling each booth on the path many times, you decide it is time to return home. It shall take time to walk to your car, and you need time to get home in order to make some of the delicious food you have just tasted, to listen to music of other countries, and to appreciate the cultures of the world showcased at the Festival of Nations.
