EAST MEETS WEST AREA TO CELEBRATE DIVERSE HERITAGE.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley cultural organizations and ethnic clubs will trade food and entertain each other with music and dance Sept. 9 at the sixth annual Antelope Valley Heritage Festival.

Started in response to the growing number of hate crimes in 1995 in the Antelope Valley, the festival and picnic promote awareness, understanding and appreciation of the varied cultures in the Antelope Valley.

``This picnic, now 6 years old, has been in my opinion one great thing that the cities have done to highlight the diversity and the ethnic advantages of the population that has chosen to live in the Antelope Valley,'' Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts said.

Organized by the Antelope Valley International Heritage Committee and co-sponsored by the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, the festival will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 9 at Lancaster City Park, 43011 10th St. W.

Antelope Valley residents dressed in the costumes of their ancestral lands will participate in a parade at 10 a.m. Then Irish dancers, American Indian dancers, Kodama-Kai Japanese dancers and gospel singers will perform.

Visitors can sample ethnic foods such as Filipino egg rolls or lumpia and Indian specialties including vegetable biryani with yogurt chutney, a spicy rice dish, or bhaji, made from sliced potatoes.

The festival's popularity grows each year, said Art Nash, a member of the Antelope Valley International Heritage Committee. There is no charge for admission, and many families bring picnic lunches.

``We know it's been effective because when we looked around, other parts have tried to mimic us, and the crowd gets bigger every year,'' Nash said.

Also to be announced at the festival the committee will announce winners of its essay contest for students in eighth through 12th grades. Each wrote about a life-changing experience with a culture different from the student's own. The top winner will receive a $300 savings bond.

Any cultural group or individual interested in participating can call the Lancaster Parks, Recreation and Arts Department at [phone], the Palmdale Parks and Recreation Department at [phone] or the chairwoman, Vicky Tomosada, at [phone],.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Chieko Noreen of the Kodama-Kai Japanese dancers performs Monday to promote the Antelope Valley Heritage Festival.

(2 -- color) Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts talks about a multicultural community festival that Palmdale will co-sponsor Sept. 9.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News