News Summary

MIDDLETOWN — Middfest's foreign visitors put on colorful faces as the celebration of Mongolia opened Friday, Oct. 3, with masked performers dancing on Donham Plaza.

The Khuree Tsam Dance was performed by Mongolian artist Ganna Natsag, who worked on more than 100 vibrant costumes.

That audience included Ann Winget La Porta, a Middletown native and wife of Alphonse La Porta, the former U.S. ambassador to Mongolia.

She watched the performance with Olivia Beach, 5, her Mongolian granddaughter.

"Who's that?" Olivia would ask.

"There's a girl inside there," La Porta replied.

"How can they see?" asked Olivia.

"They have holes in the masks. They can't see very well," La Porta answered.

Near the food court, Jan Becker of Middletown tried the Mongolian cuisine.

"This is a potato salad, kind of. And these are butter biscuits. I think this (main dish) is noodles and beef. It's good, though," she said.

Visitors inside the city building looked over the cultural exhibit.

"I always enjoy looking at the art and I always enjoy seeing the dancers," said Richard Johnson of Middletown.

Khasbazaryn Bekhbat, Mongolia's current ambassador to the United States, said "Today we know we are stronger in diversity and we are stronger to have common ideas and common values. This year's Middfest will make an important step in the right direction."

Not all the foreign visitors at Middfest were Mongolian, however. The horse in the animal center was Paddy, an Irish horse owned by area veterinarian Stephanie Burk.

"You can't find Mongolian horses here, so we had to have a substitute," she said.

Middfest International

When: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday Oct. 4; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

Where: In and around Donham Plaza, downtown Middletown

Cost: $5, a one-time fee for the entire weekend. Souvenir badge is $7. Children 12 and younger free.

Info: (513) 425-7707; www.middfestinternational.org

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.