Commonwealth Crossroads: A Celebration of Virginia's Immigrant Traditions, Saturday, March 28, 2026 5:00PM

Item details

Date

Saturday, March 28, 2026 5:00PM

Name

Commonwealth Crossroads: A Celebration of Virginia's Immigrant Traditions

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Description

Immerse yourself in a celebration of artistic traditions from around the globe brought to Virginia by recent immigrants and refugees.

Experience music, dance, food, visual arts, and ceremonies performed by master artists; traditions that were born and nurtured over centuries in places like Mongolia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Bolivia, Guatemala, and Cambodia; and that are now thriving in Virginia. T

This cultural showcase complements the VMHC’s new exhibition, We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth, which explores the history and stories of immigration in Virginia from the founding of the United States until the present day.  

Schedule: 

• 5:00 - 6:00 pm  – Taste and Explore 

  • Live music, cultural displays, and food and drink representing multiple culinary traditions.  

  • After-hours access to the VMHC's exhibits, including  We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth. 

• 6:00 – 8:00 pm – Performances 

• A ceremony of welcome performed in Quechua, an indigenous language of the Andes, by Senora Julia Garcia. 

• Music from Vietnam by the Nguyen Family Band which has performed in major venues throughout the U.S. and abroad; and by Phuong Nguyen a master of the Dan Bau, a single-stringed instrument that has often been called “the voice of Vietnam.” 

• Mongolian music and dance featuring Gankhuyag (GanNa) Natsag who currently serves as Mongolia’s Cultural Envoy; a display of masks produced by GanNa for use in traditional Tsam Buddhist ceremonies; and a performance by his daughter Uyanga, a master of the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle) and one of Mongolia’s most respected musicians. 

• An installation of Alfombra by internationally acclaimed artist Ubaldo Sanchez. Alfombra is a tradition native to the highlands of Guatemala in which colored rice, dried beans, sawdust, flowers, and other materials are arranged to create intricately designed carpets expressing spiritual themes. Marimba Maya AWAL will perform music with roots in ancient Mayan culture, featuring handmade gourd and double keyboard Marimbas, turtle shell, and traditional wooden drums. 

• Dance traditions from the Andes of Bolivia including Suri-Sikuri, an “ostrich dance” with elaborate feather crowns and the music of handmade Zamponas (pan-pipes); and Tinkus, a dance simulating combat in which the dancers draw energy from Mother Earth (Pachamama); performed by the Northern Virginia-based Tradiciones Bolivianos. 

• Performance of Cambodian dance and a display of handmade dance costumes by 2024 National Heritage Fellowship recipient, Sochietah Ung. 

• An Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony performed by Richmond resident Lemlem Gebray and her twin daughters Datta and Akeza Seyoum. 

• Demonstration of traditional Guatemalan backstrap loom weaving from Ashley Juarez Lopez. 

Note: All the artists and presenters named above have been recognized as Masters of their traditions by the Virginia Folklife Program. 

Pricing Info:

• VMHC member price  

  • $8 – Adult  

  • Free – Youth 

• Non-member ticket price  

  • $10 - Adult  

  • $8 - Seniors/Educators/Students/Active Military & Veterans  

  • $5 - Youth  

VMHC Members, please login above to reserve your discounted tickets. Your discounted member tickets will be visible once the items are in your cart. If you are not currently a member and would like to join, please click here. 

In partnership with the Center for Cultural Vibrancy; with additional support from the Humanities Research Center at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities. 

 

 

Tickets are not available at this time. See above for ticket release schedule.