Graduate intern Wesley Lovell is on the Bazaar Committee (a.k.a. the Bazaaros) – the people who plan the two-day Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar. Each year, this event serves more than 1,500 people (mostly kids K-4). This is the first of several posts from Wesley about his Bazaar adventures….
Every year since 2001, families from the Bloomington area have been able to take a little trip around the world just by visiting the Lotus Blossom Bazaar. I didn’t know much before I started on the committee, but here’s what I’ve been discovering:
- The Bazaaros know how to make committee meetings fun, but they accomplish a lot. (There’s a lot of laughter.) They choose presenters, contacting dozens of different community and university members about skills and talents they might want to share; map out the Bazaar’s activity stations; have on-site roles for the Bazaar itself. There’s a lot of ground to cover.
Deb Hutton (left) and Jenn Larson, of the 2009 Bazaaro team
- Most committee members are long-time volunteers. Committee co-chair Nancy Boatner has been a Bazaaro for a decade. For her, seeing children’s faces as they enter the Bazaar is the ultimate reward. “The music, flags, tents – it’s like they’re in a candy shop,” she says. For staff member LuAnne Holladay, the camaraderie of the committee has its own satisfactions. “These are people who have, over the years, become colleagues. I always look forward to Bazaar season.”
Elsa Harik, of the Bloomington Arab American Society, talks to 4th-graders
- The Bazaaros are Lotus staff, IU students and staff, community members, and local artists. That means they bring a valuable range of contacts, talents, and skills to the planning process. They also have a good relationship with the school that hosts the event, Binford Elementary. Take away any person in the mix, and the event isn’t as strong. (This year’s full committee list: Nancy Boatner, Patty Callison, Nick Clark, Gail Hale, Liese Hilgeman, LuAnne Holladay, Deb Hutton, Deborah Klein, Tamara Loewenthal, and me.)
A monk from the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center demonstrates a sand mandala
- From the first meeting, I was struck by the Bazaaros’ dedication — not just to making the Bazaar fun for kids, but also to making it something the community can be proud of. “The Bazaar is a great showcase for the Bloomington community,” says Nick Clark, adding, “It really demonstrates the cultural diversity that exists in Bloomington.” Gail Hale, who first started with Lotus as a festival volunteer, calls the Bazaar is “a transformative experience”: “It will change the way you see yourself, the world, and your place in the world.”
This year’s Bazaar Family Day is Saturday, March 26, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Binford Elementary School. Look for me in the Performance Corner, where I’ll be stage managing.
Lotus Bazaaro newbie and graduate assistant Wesley Lovell is a student in Indiana University’s Arts Administration program, in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
