BOUNTIFUL ó Summerfest is not only on, but itís bigger and better. ìPeople are getting the wrong impression, that we donít have enough groups coming to Summerfest,î said Bountiful/Davis Art Center executive director Emma J. Dugal. A Sunday Salt Lake City newspaper article has created confusion. It said that due to visas being denied, many people were not coming from abroad for this 20th anniversary event. The biggest drop in attendance is for an international event, not part of Summerfest, also being held this week in Bountiful. The International Organization of Folk Art will be held Wednesday-Saturday. ##M:MORE##

Itís referred to as IOV because of the Austria-based groupís spelling in German.

ìItís a misconception. Summerfest people are getting the wrong impression that we donít have enough groups coming,î Dugal said. ìWe do have eight groups coming. People are assuming the festival is a disaster. That is just not true.î

Dancing troupes from four countries were not able to attend: China, India, Mongolia and Rumania.

ìThis happens every year. Some countries donít make it,î she said.

But there are seven countries and eight groups that will be performing, including two from Russia, Dugal said.

Dancers will perform from Costa Rica, Greece, Israel, Mexico, Russia, South Korea and the USA.

ìWe only had six groups last year. Weíre doing better,î in terms of the number of countries on hand, Dugal emphasized.

ìEverything (for Summerfest) is on schedule. Thereís no reason for people to stay away.

ìWeíll have the Main Street street dance Wednesday night at 7:30 between 1st and 2nd South, opening ceremonies Thursday, starting at 6 p.m. at Bountiful City Hall,î she said. (See a separate story with complete details beginning on p. A1 in todayís paper.)

It was anticipated up to 300 ìyouth,î or people up to the age of 40, would attend from up to 55 countries.

However, four-fifths of those people are unable to attend because they could not obtain visas, said George Frandsen, U.S. Section IOV Chief. He is a former Bountiful resident and was very involved with Summerfest in its early years.

ìItís 100 percent accurate for the IOV (of many people not able to get visas to attend),î he said. ìFor the Youth Congress, the thing thatís so strange is if you apply as a group, itís much easier to get than as an individual.

ì(For individuals), the burden of proof is on the applicants to show the country they will come back after their visa expires.

ìItís really hard for a young person to prove when they may not have a job or real strong ties to the economic fabric of their home country,î Frandsen said. ìFrequently young people are denied visas. Thatís what happened.

ìA lot have been told theyíre too young, donít have an established life here in Nepal (for example). We (governments) have no reason to believe you would come back,î he said.

ìOur youth experience (IOV) is going on. We have 65 to 70 people coming. We had some come we hadnít counted on,î Frandsen said.

He gave examples of people from Senegal coming to Bountiful by bus from Chicago to attend. In another case, a man from Iran whose visa had been denied twice received a call from the consulate in Dubai, obtained a visa, thanks in part to efforts by Sen. Orrin Hatch.

ìItís going to be fantastic. I think we as a United States will put on a good show,î said Larry Baird, chairman of the IOV World Congress Organizing Committee.

ìI think they will be impressed with how we are doing things here,î Baird said of international visitors, including IOV secretary general Hans Holz of Austria.

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com