He said the gathering draws tens of thousands of people and wouldn't exist without support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The gathering drew spectators like Rita McWhorter, an older Eldorado resident who sat on the steps of a Presbyterian church across the street.
The gathering drew Israelis from groups that do not often rub shoulders: "Orthodox representatives, including ultra-Orthodox, the secular community, Reform representatives," Rabbi Bateman said, recalling who showed up.
While the Elko gathering draws large numbers of California urbanites and Arizona retirees, about a third of the audience is composed of ranching families, said Charles Seemann, executive director of the Folklife Center.
An anti-immigration gathering drew only about 100 people here today for an educational conference that included speeches condemning illegal immigrants as invaders and criminals who are destroying suburban neighborhoods.
"I said, 'Why?' and he said, 'Just seeing you in the dress again.' " As the gathering drew to a close, Ms. Shook, a photographer, spoke of tripling the size of next year's gathering and suggested that the participants bring in photos of their wedding days.
As the gathering drew to a close, with Abbas re-elected as party leader, new central committee members announced and votes being counted for the revolutionary council, western media headlines gave the impression that it had largely been a success, like the New York Times's report: Fatah party election brings in a new generation.
The festival, the International Cultural Moussem of Asilah, is today among North Africa's biggest cultural gatherings, drawing more than 100,000 people as diverse as Berber artists, Saudi Arabian royalty and Japanese collectors.
But her gatherings drew people from both sides of the political aisles, creating lasting bonds.
Thursday's violence concentrated outside a Bangkok sports stadium where election candidates were gathering to draw lots for their positions on ballots.
Controversially, the police asked the convention centre which hosted the party gathering, to draw the black blinds across the entire glass façade of the building.
