Bringing just a few clothes, the family came to a place they knew of only through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' activities in Africa.

They know no one in Utah from their native country, so if they want to carry on the traditions of their homeland, they must rely on one another.

Sitam Macias taught her children "singing and dancing in our own dialect, so we don't forget," Fina Macias said of her mother. "It's always nice to learn from a different culture, but you don't want to forget where you come from."

The Macias family is just one of many who will perform at this year's Living Traditions festival Friday through Sunday at the City-County Building in Salt Lake City.

The 20-year-old festival's founding director Casey Jarman says the family's story is typical of immigrant experiences. Utah has always been a refuge for people seeking a better life, who work hard to overcome language barriers, find employment and assimilate into a complex culture.

But they don't want to forget their homelands.

"The refugees are here because . . . some are looking for a better life, but some are fleeing for their lives. Some of the performers we bring in come from very hostile environments," Jarman said. "They're thriving and they're contributing through adversity, and I think some of their stories are just remarkable."

Over the years, the participants have changed as people of different ethnicities have moved to Utah. Some groups, such as Greeks and Latinos, have been around for a long time, "But there are lots of new refugees that come - and sometimes go," Jarman said. Utah absorbed many Cambodian and Hmong refugees 30 years ago, for example, but now immigrants come from other places.

"It's reflective of Utah, and certainly America, and certainly the future of America. I think we're in the forefront of recognizing that our population is getting more diverse," Jarman said.

George Aposhian's grandfather, Zadik, fled Turkey during a time when he, along with other ethnic Armenians, faced persecution there. Aposhian took over the Living Traditions rug-weaving booth from his father, George Sr., 17 years ago and taught his daughter, Diane, how to work the loom. She is teaching the art to her daughter, Mattie.

A typical carpet represents thousands of hours spent meticulously knotting hundreds of threads - about 300 knots on each row, with as many as 800 rows - to make one carpet.

"I don't ever work on the carpets that I don't think of my grandfather," George Aposhian said. When Zadik Aposhian headed for America, "transportation in those days was pretty grim," Aposhian said. His grandparents and their eight children went from Turkey to Lebanon, to Egypt, to France, to England and then Canada before arriving in the states.

"You didn't just pick them up and put them on a bus or train or airplane and go," Aposhian said. "When I think of what they went through to get here, I'm very grateful, and this carpet making is a great tie to them."

John and Helen Anton's parents immigrated to the United States, where they became members of the Lebanese community. Like the Macias family, they had to rely on their own skills to keep their music alive. John Anton plays the guitar and mandolin, while Helen plays the dirbekki, a traditional type of drum.

Though they often perform at weddings and other special occasions, "We're not professionals. We're just doing it to keep our heritage alive," Helen Anton said. "It means a great deal. It means the world to the people who are getting married or doing a baptism, and they call and they want us to play for them."

They have performed at the festival for all 20 years of its existence; their children and now grandchildren have gotten into the music as well. "We've enjoyed it so much and kind of look forward to it . . . We'll sing a couple songs. The pipes are getting rusty, so there's not so much singing, but the dancing still goes well," said Helen, who has been married to John Anton for 53 years now. "We just are proud that our children want to carry on with this."

About the fest

* The Living Traditions festival is Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. on the grounds of the City-County Building, 450 S. 200 East.

* Nonprofit organizations representing many groups will sell food and crafts, while performers sing and dance on two stages.

* Children can learn about Utah's diverse cultures through demonstrations and hands-on projects throughout the festival.

* The City-County Building will also host an exhibit in the first-floor gallery celebrating the festival's 20th anniversary. For the first time this year, there will be fireworks Saturday at about 10 p.m. Admission to all events is free.

* For a schedule or other information, go to http://www.slcgov.com/arts/livingtraditions/ or call the Salt Lake City Arts Council at 596-5000.

Some festival highlights:

* Bocce ball returns for the second year; courts will be set up on the northwest lawn of the City & County Building.

* Workshops on a variety of topics, including ''The Role of the Sacred Steel Guitar,'' ''Everyday Life in Iraq and Iran'' and ''Kosher on the Range,'' will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

* The "Living Traditions Kids" area will give children 12 and younger the chance to make paper crafts and learn dances.

* Performing artists include Madagascar singer/guitarist D'Gary; Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys; gospel group Campbell Brothers; and bohola, traditional Irish music.

* New crafts demonstrators include blacksmiths, Chinese calligraphy, Navajo basket weaving, Persian miniatures, Puerto Rican rock carving and Somali Bantu arts.

* Food vendors new to the festival are Bosnian dancers, the Pakistani Arts Council and Tongan singers.