Share:

8th Annual Helvetia Culture Fest Features Family Fun and Area's Swiss-German-Native American Cultural Heritage

Enjoy a Sunday afternoon in beautiful Helvetia as the local community celebrates its diverse cultural heritage. The eighth annual Helvetia Culture Fest will take place on Sunday, August 14, from 1-5 p.m. at the barn at Pacific Crest Alpacas, 12995 NW Bishop Road, Helvetia. This working barn, with its custom-crafted, stained-glass windows, offers stunning views of the Tualatin Valley.

Why do we have the Helvetia Culture Fest?

The Helvetia Culture Fest showcases the performing arts of ancestral inhabitants of the Helvetia area: the Tualatins (the original Native inhabitants) and the Swiss-German settlers who came to the area in the 1870s. The latter named this area “Helvetia” (“Switzerland” in Latin) because the rolling hills and productive farmland reminded them of their native country.

“With more than 100,000 people visiting Helvetia every year to enjoy its U-pick fruit, lavender, pumpkin and Christmas tree farms, wine tastings, bike riding and upland countryside, we see the Culture Fest as an opportunity to educate people about Helvetia's unique heritage,” says Cherry Amabisca, President of Helvetia Community Association. “The Helvetia Culture Fest is a fun event for families to enjoy and learn new things about Helvetia at the same time. The proceeds from admission tickets go directly to ongoing conservation and preservation efforts in the Helvetia community.”

Music and Entertainment

This year's festival offers a captivating array of Native dance and Swiss music. A troupe of dancers from acclaimed Painted Sky Dance Company will share traditional tribal dances and drumming. Folsom Band will perform high-energy classic hits by Johnny Cash, with a twist. See more of Folsom at www.reverbnation.com/folsomband.

Food and merchandise

In keeping with Helvetia's Swiss and Native-American heritages, locally made food, including bratwurst supplied by The Meating Place, will be offered for purchase at the Fest. Then top it off with scrumptious strudel from Beaverton Bakery, local wine from Helvetia Winery and beer from Vertigo Brewery.

There will be entertainment for the kids and grandkids with face-painting and crafts. Gift baskets of Helvetia products and services will be available for bidding in a silent auction, and unique Helvetia items will be available for sale. Ginny Mapes, local author and historian, will host a Helvetia history table to showcase her new book, The Tualatins, which features never-before-published photos of local petroglyphs and artifacts.

Signature Pie Walk

And, of course, eagerly awaited by young and old alike, is the Helvetia Culture Fest's signature fundraising activity: THE PIE WALK – or, more correctly, six of them throughout the afternoon. Helvetia's premier pie bakers donate their best homemade pies and happy guests wager $5 tickets for the chance to win one of the 18 delicious pies.

Free Admission for Kids

Admission is just $10 for adults over 18 and FREE for anyone younger. All proceeds benefit the non-profit Helvetia Community Association and its preservation efforts in the Helvetia community.

The Helvetia Culture Fest is hosted by Helvetia Community Association, a 501(c)(3) educational, cultural non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire understanding and enjoyment of Helvetia's people, land and history. (www.HelvetiaCommunity.org). The Fest has been honored with a grant from the Washington County Cultural Coalition. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, premier sponsors of the event since its inception, are successors in interest to the Tualatins, the native people who occupied winter villages near what is now Gaston and who camped and gathered food throughout the valley that bears their name from time immemorial prior to European settlement.

For more information, contact Cherry Amabisca at 503-647-5334 or amabisca@helvetia.us.

Program Booklet and Advertising

Everyone who attends will receive a copy of our Program Booklet, with photos of Helvetia and articles about our role in protecting our community's farm lands and resources.

We invite individuals and businesses to purchase sponsorship ads in the booklet.  It's a great way to show your support and promote your business to our many supporters.  See ad sizes, prices, and ordering information

Ad orders are no longer being accepted. But be sure to contact us to be included in next year's booklet!

SEE YOU AT THE HELVETIA CULTURE FEST!


HCA logo Washington County Cultural Coalition logo

The Helvetia Culture Fest is presented by Helvetia Community Association, a 501(c)(3) cultural, educational, non-profit organization, in partnership with the Washington County Cultural Coalition.


Home   •   Local Products   •   Contact Us
Background graphic courtesy of George Valdez / Smoke Signals / The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Web site design and programming by Brian Beinlich   •   Contact the webmaster