A day for Sri Lankan culture to shine

Well, head to the town’s NARA Park from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday and it will all be there.

Acton and the Sri Lanka Association of New England are hosting what they believe is the six-state region’s first public Sri Lankan festival, with the event offering a rare opportunity to experience the island nation’s culture and cooking.

“Because there is so much negative publicity about Sri Lanka because of the war we had all these years, we want to show we also have ancient traditions and ancient culture and a lot of good things that happen in our country. So with the festival, we just want to highlight that,’’ said Chitral de Mel, the Chelmsford-based association’s president.

According to the group’s estimate, New England is home to 2,500 Sri Lankans, with the majority in Massachusetts. Many are members of the association, which since its founding in 1998 has busied itself with two main tasks: charitable work in Sri Lanka and community-building efforts here.

The association provides funding for hospitals, food programs, pediatric cancer care, and transportation to medical facilities for poor rural families in Sri Lanka, which sits about 20 miles off the southern coast of India. They also support a school program for children with hearing loss caused by weapons explosions during a 25-year civil war that only recently seems to have been resolved. Stateside, the concern has been unity.

“Our goal is to bring together all Sri Lankans irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds. Because of the conflict we had in Sri Lanka, we wanted a very united community here,’’ said de Mel, adding that the festival features both Sinhalese and Tamil foods and culture.

Pancha Thurya, a 40-person all-ages drum orchestra, will be at the center of Saturday’s festivities. The group was founded by Arjuna Balasuriya, a mobile-robotics researcher at MIT who lives in Acton.

“The attractive feature of Sri Lankan drums is the tone. The tone is very unique,’’ said Balasuriya, who also plays jazz violin. “Each type of drum has a different sound. Each has its own tone. I find when you mix them with other music it brings a really unique flavor to it.’’

The group will perform traditional pieces and also jam with a Western-style band, to demonstrate the drums’ versatility.

“The sound is so dynamic and it’s wonderful to watch,’’ said de Mel. “There is nothing else like it. You cannot see this anywhere else in the world. That’s why we are so proud of this tradition.’’

A host of youths and adults will also perform traditional dances and music.

“The singing style grew out of farming and fishing techniques. These songs were sung during cultivation or when they worked in the fields to give them energy or relaxation,’’ said Balasuriya. “And during ancient times people were singing while they stayed at night guarding their crops from animals. They just kept singing. This is how the folk music evolved in Sri Lanka.’’

Meanwhile, foodies will get a treat at the concessions, where sweet and spicy Sri Lankan snacks will be sold and cooking techniques for some will be demonstrated. Offerings will include various “short eats,’’ or bite-sized savory snacks, such as vadei, spicy fried lentil patties, and cutlis, chili-hot spheres of potato and meat in a crispy crumb coating.

Curries, the nation’s most popular food, will also abound, but be sure to buy a drink before you start snacking. Some argue Sri Lankan cuisine is the spiciest food on earth. But organizers say they’ll tone it down for those who prefer to dine on the lower end of the Scoville scale.

Or, just try a dessert like coconut rock (a sort of coconut brittle with nuts and cardamom), kokis (sweet fried cakes made of eggs and rice flour), or kavum (deep-fried rice and coconut-milk cakes sweetened with treacle).

“These are all very time-consuming to make and many are served only at special events like New Year’s, so they are a special treat,’’ said de Mel.

And the offerings just go on. Traditional crafts such as masks, carved wood and bamboo, metal lamps, and batik will be displayed (but not sold). Cooking utensils will be exhibited. Regional styles of bridal dress will be modeled. History and travel displays will present the old and the new. And, Buddhist monks will be on hand to discuss meditation techniques and answer other questions. If all goes well, it will become an annual event.

“Our hope is that this festival will help the American public get more interested in Sri Lanka,’’ said de Mel. “This is the first Sri Lankan Day New England and we are hoping a lot of people will come and be part of it.’’

Sri Lankan Day, Saturday, 4-9 p.m., NARA Park Amphitheater, 25 Ledge Rock Way, Acton. No rain date. Admission free. Parade: 6:30 p.m., followed by variety show. 508-648-5104, www.slaneusa.com.

MUSIC INSIDE AND OUT: Yes, it’s the season for outdoor concerts. But the Concerts in the Kitchen series at the Jackson Homestead in Newton is just so cozy (and immune to weather cancellations) that it shouldn’t be overshadowed by its more summery cousins.

These intimate folk concerts take place, as advertised, in the 1809 homestead’s kitchen. On Saturday, guests will gather round for a night of spoken word, poetry and folk music by Alaska native and singer-songwriter Tom Begich and one-of-a-kind performance poet Tim Mason. Advance reservations are strongly advised.

If you prefer the outdoors, upcoming highlights include the snazzy pops sound of the Claflin Hill Summer Winds performing in Medway on Monday and in Milford on Tuesday. And always entertaining bluegrass band Wide Open Spaces performs twice on Saturday, at 11 a.m. in Marlborough and 2 p.m. in Hudson.

Concerts in the Kitchen with Tom Begich and Tim Mason is Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at Jackson Homestead, 527 Washington St., Newton. Suggested donation: $7.50 in advance, $10 at door. Reserve at notlobreservations@comcast.net; information at 617-796-1450.

Claflin Hill Summer Winds performs Monday, 7 p.m., at Choate Park, off Route 109, Medway. No rain date. 508-533-6275. Also, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Milford Town Park, at Walnut and Congress streets. Rain date next Thursday. 508-478-5924, www.claflinhill.org.

Wide Open Spaces performs Saturday, 11 a.m., on Union Common, Main and Bolton streets in Marlborough. Rain location: Walker Building, 255 Main St. Also, Saturday, 2 p.m., Cellucci Park, 37 South St., Hudson. Rain location: Hudson Town Hall, 78 Main St. 978-562-1646, www.upwitharts.org.

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