Kalistani Major History

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Empress opens annual Vrassan Faire as Grand Marshall
Greets citizens and Announces new Cultural Initiatives
Vrassa City, Duchy of Vrassa
April 30, 5480


Empress arrives at Vrassan Faire and addresses subjects on Cultural Initiatives

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Nicolette I turned up at the Vrassan Faire this month to serve as the Faire's Grand Marshall. In doing so, the Empress was required to ride in a parade through Vrassa City, and then speak before the gates of the Vrassan Fairegrounds. Following her short speech, the Empress declared the Faire opened, and welcomed more than 6500 fair goers on the first day of the two week exposition.

While the Vrassan Faire, generally held at the very beginning of Spring in the Vrassan capital often has unpredictable weather, this year Opening Day was warm and sunny for the Empress' Visit. The fair features Vrassan art and artisanship, including quilting, embroidery and needlepoint, painting and photography, wood working, and demonstrations of various skilled crafts, including joining, welding, sculpting and pottery, and forging. It also features an agricultural expo that highlights both farm produce and livestock exhibits. There is also several livestock auctions held during the faire, a rodeo championship, and sheep riding events for kids. Besides the rustic events, there are also rides and lots of various kinds of food to be enjoyed. There is a free concert every night, usually featuring two bands, one of them being a major touring band, and live demolition derby, horse racing and pari-mutuel, and a petting zoo. The Faire usually hosts more than 1200 exhibitors, has contests in more than 85 categories, and is visited by more than 75,000 people, mostly from Vrassa and Nevaras, over the two week period.

The Empress also used the event to kick off a new Cultural Initiative. The Empress has asked Vrassa District University to host the Working Center for Kalistani Culture. The CKC will study Kalistan's history and development of its culture, including making an effort to trace the cultural influences loaned to Kalistan from various waves of immigrants. The goal is the create a working and living knowledge of Kalistan's culture, as it is, as it has changed, and as it is always changing into the future. The CKC will have funding to researching specific aspects, will publish a quarterly journal, which will have both peer reviewed and popular literature sections, and will operate a new museum in Vrassa.

"We see this as a complement to the International Music Hall of Fame in Luxon," said the Empress. "Kalistani culture is so diverse and exciting, and has borrowed so much from so many people. Whether it be the major influences of Gaduridos in Suldanor, or the Lourennais Disapora in Dulnerstaad, or the Indralan influences in parts of Odufaray, or the Eastern Dovani descent populations throughout our empire, Kalistan is a cross section of the world. This is something that we celebrate, and it is also something we hope the People of this Empire celebrate as well. Our people are a shining example of a single society where racial and ethnic identities are fused under the Banner of the Empire. As Kalistan welcomes the entire world, she should have it know that ours is not just about music, or drugs, but also about taking the best of the world and offering it to our people, always honoring the source material, but always putting a uniquely Kalistani spin on it. We are so proud of the People of this Nation and their openness to new ideas and new ways of seeing the world. That is Kalistan's role, and it is something our people relish."

The Empress said to her audience that the Center for Kalistani Culture at Vrassa District would open within a new year, and her Minister of Education was allocating more than ₭10 million for its initial capitalization. "This will be a start, but our Ministers for Education and Culture understand that this is to be a long term investment, and it is our wish that the capitalization serve as an endowment to allow the center to run in perpetuity, to train cultural scholars, and to encourage the development and exploration of all the various facets of Kalistani Culture."

The Vrassan Faire runs until May 10. All are welcomed.