June 17, 2004

EXPO 2005 is being hosted by Aichi (Japan). EXPO 2000 was in Hannover, which I personally attended and simply adored. The irregularly-held World Exposition, run by the BIE, is like a cultural Olympics, and is always worth a visit.
posted by The Sacred and Profane 20 years ago
  • Wow, that's a great idea. Never even knew this went on. Great post, s&p, thanks.
  • It's been going on for decades! Also called the World Fair by some, I believe. There was one close to home in Montreal, I do recall. Well, I wasn't alive at the time. It's honestly a huge event, and it always surprises me that some people haven't heard of or experienced an Exposition yet. This is why I must spread the GOOD WORD OF EXPO! *ahem* Hooray!
  • Montreal's was in 1967, and Vancouver had one in 1986. Both are still being paid for -- which is not to disuade attendance, as they are totally fun and appeal to the part of me that likes to have lots of stamps in my passport. But, just to say...very much like a cultural olympics, in many respects.
  • Okay, this is the same thing as the World's Fair. That I've heard of. But I hadn't heard of one going on in the last fifty years or so -- that's actually something I'd wondered about, if they just stopped having them.
  • World's Fair = World Exposition. Yeap. middleclasstool is correct. But they haven't been called "World's Fair" for quite a while. By the way, Americans are likely unaware of the event to some degree, because America as a political entity seems to not be that interested in the whole thing. They pulled out of the 2000 one. I heard some seniors alive during the war explain that the US didn't like going to the expositions anymore, because they weren't allowed to show off guns. It's all very much about peace and culture these days. I don't know if there is any truth in that, but the US did drop out of Hannover. No big loss, of course, as I still had a blast.
  • Well, speaking as a Murrcan, that's just stupid, pulling out. Sounds like one heck of a shindig.
  • World Expo 2005 is the big comeback for the United States. . . the US Pavilion is getting some press. I guess because Congress made government funding for this sort of thing no longer allowed, it has been more difficult. Also 2010 will be in Shanghai. http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1087896661106901.xml