Health & Fitness
Kent International Festival Reaches New Heights
Downtown Kent was alive with music, food, and sky lanterns.
The International Festival in Kent Saturday attracted a diverse group — all ages and many ethnicities. I stopped by during the day to hear the Kent African Drum Ensemble and the Doppel Adler German band. The Doppler Adler band roused the crowd in song as the bandleader sang in German while asking the audience to join in. Loose and lively, they took me back to my bike trip through Germany with their small town feel and big sound.
The energetic Taiko drummers were quite good given some of the members' young ages. Musically and visually, they were well synchronized. They also provided a transition to a breathtaking event, the release of many sky lanterns at dusk, which were set alight by attendees and released skyward. Last seen, they were headed high over the Kent State Campus.