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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 23, 2010 · 30 Carousel of Nations whirls into Kerr Village this weekend On Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26, the Carousel of Nations Multicultural Association's (CNMA) 12th annual Cultural Festival will be hosted in Kerr Village. A kickoff event will be held on Friday, June 25 from 6:30-11 p.m. at the Encore Oakville Mews Cinema on Speers Road . It will feature short films on the various countries being represented in the festival. On Saturday, June 26 there will be 12 pavilions, representing more than 30 countries, all showcasing their unique cultures at Kerr Street and Lakeshore Road. From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, the festival will feature live musical performances, art displays, a kids' zone, an artists' village tent, a variety of authentic and traditional dishes and refreshments, a skateboarding competition and lots of entertainment and fun, with something for every age group. The Kerr/Lakeshore location is OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTO accessible to the residents of Oakville, Halton and the surround- FESTIVAL FUN: Dancers perform at last year's Carousel of Nations festival held in Kerr Village. The multicultrual fesing communities. tival is a free family event that features live musical performances, art displays, a kids' zone, an artists' village, a variety The festival is a free family of foods, a skateboarding competition and more. event that contributes to the social cohesion of the Halton Region community. Since 1999, the festival continues to be a successful collaboration among the local ethno-cultural groups, professional and amateur multicultural artists, Halton Regional Police Service, local businesses, government and corporate sponsors. The CNMA exists to celebrate the cultural diversity of Halton Region for the educational and entertainment benefit of the community. As a member of the Oakville Arts Council, the CNMA promotes the understanding and appreciation of the diversity and significance of the multicultural arts in a cultural context. An artists' tent will be included in the festival for artists to exhibit their works. Partnering with the Kerr Village BIA in celebrating its 12th anniversary, enables the CNMA to present a day-long outdoor festival featuring all pavilions at one location, with ongoing entertainment throughout the day For information, call 905-2570581 or 905-617-6171. Two Halton woman vying for spiritual author title in book contest Two Halton women are among the finalists of an international book contest that could land either of them a publishing contract. Burlington residents Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw and Deborah Bajoras, who do much of their work in Oakville, are in the Next Top Spiritual Author Contest. Out of a field of 3,000 entries, they are down to the top 250 in the contest, the winner of which will get the contract with Hampton Roads Publishing in the U.S. To win they need support from the public. Until June Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw 28, they are trying to encourage people to earn as many votes as they can. The winner will be selected on a combination of voting and a panel of best-selling authors and the publisher. To vote visit www.nexttopauthor.com. Oldershaw is author number 186 and Bajoras is author number 247. On the website people can view videos describing their books and read their first chapters and book proposals. Oldershaw is a former Oakville resident and was one of Halton's Women of the Year in 2008. Her book is titled Transforming Problems into Life Force -- Four Simple Keys to Self Healing. Bajoras is a business intuitive life coach and a public speaker. Her book is titled Breast Cancer Turned Inside Out.