Fifty years ago, 18 different nationality groups banded together to show off and share their ethnic pride with singing, dancing and native foods.

		Pittsburgh Folk Festival Where: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. When: 4-11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $8 advance; $10 door; under 12 free. Information: 412-278-1267; www.pghfolkfest.org. Folk Festival's flavors celebrate half-century of culinary tradition

It was the first Pittsburgh Folk Festival, presented by Duquesne University at the late Syria Mosque. It was also the beginning of a tradition that would carry on to the present and has the look of something that will go well into the future.

The 50th anniversary Pittsburgh Folk Festival carries the torch this weekend at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown, with 25 groups represented. Among them, five of the groups have been represented every year since the first one: Bulgaria, Greece, Lebanon, Lithuania and Ukraine.

What made those 18 groups unite in 1956?

"I think they were seeing the writing on the wall as far as people not understanding each other culture's and traditions," says the Rev. James Root, chairman of the festival. "They got together and decided to showcase everyone's strong points but also to show they are unique but not alone. That was still the American way."

Root, a member of the Lebanese contingent, experienced his first Folk Festival 14 years ago and was hooked right away. "It's wonderful," he says. "I enjoyed all the culture and the pageantry. Most important I think was the camaraderie. It really shows who we are. I know we are a melting pot, but that just makes us Velveeta. Our culture really is a mosaic. I think that's what we are as United States."

Maybe reflecting the immigrant spirit that brought these groups to this country, the Folk Festival has been a nomadic event over its 50 years. After the Syria Mosque, it bumped up to the then-Civic Arena, where, Root says, they used to shut down the food booths, and 10,000 people would watch the performances. From there, the festival bounced around to the Monroeville ExpoMart, the Station Square amphitheatre and Heinz Field.

Michelle Kotsagrelos, a festival organizer and member of the Grecian Odyssey Dancers, says the folk fest "is slowly but surely growing. A lot of people are going back to their roots and finding who [they] are, where they're from."

Kotsagrelos says that every year her friends go to Florida for Memorial Day weekend, but she stays behind because "I enjoy showing my ethnic pride and being Greek, as well as seeing other people doing the same."

Like the Grecian dancers, many of the performing units in the festival are based out of churches or other organizations, and the folk festival is just one of the events they perform during the year.

Root is quick to point out that, likewise, the festival is just the main event for the organization that runs it. "The event takes place Memorial Day weekend, but the organization is year-round. We do a variety of programs and presentations. It's not just a money-maker for the weekend. It really is to educate people."

Part of the education this weekend will be about the festival itself. Walter Kolar, who has been involved since the beginning, is assembling a historical display that shows old program books and pictures from the past 50 years.

There will also be music, dancing, an international bazaar and all that glorious food.

"Once you have experienced the Folk Festival, you're really into it," Root says. "It's amazing to see how many friendships of all the different people develop there. We read about hatred between the factions, and yet, we come together and everyone's at ease. Muslims and Christians and Jews. There's no one proselytizing. Everyone's friendly and themselves."