by Anthony DeMatteo
Staff writer
Starting today, Jacksonville residents can visit countries throughout the world without leaving the River City.
The 15th Annual World of Nations Celebration is today through Sunday at Metropolitan Park.
More than 30 countries, including Kenya, South Korea and Mexico, will be represented at the event. This year, three new countries will participate: Bulgaria, Spain and Ecuador. Groups from organizations representing each country will set up pavilions with food, information and entertainment.
Today and Friday afternoon, the festival is open only to school children throughout the area, who will visit the festival on field trips.
Last year, about 12,000 children from St. Johns, Nassau, Duval and Clay County attended the festival.
“They love it,” said Christina Langston, public relations manager of the City’s Office of Special Events. “They get to taste the cuisine and experience the entertainment.”
Langston said about 60,000 people are expected to attend the celebration, which is sponsored by the City and area nonprofit agencies.
About 50 of those people will leave the event as newly naturalized United States citizens after a naturalization ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
On Friday, the festival will open to the public from 5-9 p.m. for an International Party with free admission and entertainment.
Weekend admission is $5 for a one-day “ticket to the world” and $7 for a two-day pass. Members of the military and senior citizens get a $2 discount.
Visitors to each country’s pavilion can have a Jacksonville Port Authority passport stamped, then submit it to the “Passport to the World” booth to be eligible for prizes including round-trip tickets from a major airline.
Norway’s pavilion will feature two reindeer and four Lundehunds – a six-toed dog as old as the Ice Age that faced extinction after World War II.
“They are very docile, very friendly and have special relationships with their owners,” said Marci Larson, co-chair of the Sons of Norway, the international organization representing the Nordic kingdom at the festival. “We’re having the same four dogs as last year,” she said. “There are only about 1,000 in the world.”
Larson said one of the reindeer is a film star, with a credit in the 1989 movie, “Prancer.”
“Not just with Norway, but other countries’ culture and heritage gets passed on,” said Larson. “I think that’s the greatest thing about World of Nations.”