All the park’s a stage at Hiawatha as Mediterranean Fantasy Fest, the region’s premier belly-dancing festival, continues for a few more hours. You just might find a troupe getting ready, as we did, while others are onstage:

Performances continue outdoors and indoors until about 5 pm today – here’s the schedule. And don’t miss the vendors! Among them, West Seattle’s own Dina Lydia, the Costume Goddess:

The festival’s been an annual tradition for more than a quarter of a century, founded by the Babylonian Ensemble, whose website tells the story here.

ADDED 8:46 PM: Dina Lydia shared a few of her photos from the festival:

Belly-dancing is for all agencies; those sisters dance as The Bellybuttons. Next, Shalaa and Amanda in sailor outfits for a humorous mother-daughter routine:

On to the traditional – a Persian dance by a member of the troupe Karavans:

Here’s veteran troupe Shahradezade Dance Ensemble with a traditional beladi dance in the Hiawatha gym:

And the student troupe Dancing Mirage:

SiDE NOTE: This festival’s over, but summer fun at Hiawatha keeps going – next up, six Thursday nights of music, with Summer Concerts at Hiawatha beginning next Thursday night – details here.)