The images used for this article and the cover of our September 17 issue were taken by Stephanie Perez Rivera.

Fayetteville is a culturally rich and diverse city. Home to the nation's largest military installation and two universities, the city's residents each bring unique cultural backgrounds from around the world. Once a year, the community comes together to celebrate the colorful, flavorful, and beautiful people who make the city what it is.
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is proud to present the 47th Annual International Folk Festival on Sept. 26 and 27. This is a two-day festival of family and community-based events centered around unity and the nations that call Fayetteville and Cumberland County home. Normally, the festival runs the entire weekend, but this year, the decision was made to make it more powerful in a shorter amount of time.
“We have a pretty big change this year as far as scheduling goes. This year, we will contain the majority of our ‘festival’ activities to Saturday, Sept. 27. On Friday, Sept. 26, we will have the opening reception for ‘Multi-Faceted,’ and that will get us in the festival spirit as we celebrate this exhibit opening along with the rest of the Fourth Friday activities. Saturday will be a jam-packed day with the Parade of Nations kicking off at 10 a.m. and then the rest of the festival grounds opening at noon. We will close things out with a performance presented by Sandhills Jazz Society at 7 p.m. on our Main Stage in Festival Park,” said Miles McKeller-Smith, director of public relations, Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.
This year’s festival theme, Celebrating Connections and Cultures in Our Community, coincides with the season’s art exhibit theme, Multi-Faceted: Mixed Media and Connected Identities. McKeller-Smith elaborated, “Multi-Faceted: Mixed Media and Connected Identities explores the idea of connected identities through various visual arts media. It’s an exhibit that challenges us to reflect on and embrace the complexities of our own identity. Scaling up on that theme, IFF is a space for us to share those identities with our community, and hopefully, use them as a means to connect with others.”
The celebration begins Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. with the exhibit opening reception at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, located downtown at 301 Hay Street. The exhibit features the work of visual artist Lady Natalia Perez Lozano, a Colombian-born transplant to Fayetteville. Her art is self-described as “exploring human emotion, nature, and internal conflict through expressive body language and symbolic elements. Using mediums such as oil painting, mixed media, and pastels, my work delves into themes of transformation, empowerment, and the interplay between inner and outer worlds.” This event is free to the public, and the exhibit runs through Nov. 9.
Saturday morning, grab a lawn chair and a blanket and find a spot on Hay Street for the family favorite, vibrant Parade of Nations, starting at 10 a.m. Watch as over 25 nations represent their homelands with music, traditional garb, extravagant floats, and plenty of smiles and energy. At noon, the rest of the festival grounds will open for live entertainment on two stages, with performances by Fayetteville Latin Dance, Aloha Ka’naka O Hula, and a host of other performers. Tire the kids out with a trip to the Kids Zone, featuring activities just for the little ones. Take in the whole festival-- sight, sound, and taste. This year’s festival features food vendors representing 30 nations.
“We have an assortment of food trucks attending, offering food from over 30 different countries. We’ve got some fan-favorites coming back, but we’re also excited to share that roughly one-third of the food trucks that will be in attendance are first-time IFF vendors. There will be something there for everyone!” McKeller-Smith said.
Ending the festivities on Saturday on the Main Stage is a performance featuring Pamela Williams and Marcus Johnson, presented by Sandhills Jazz Society. This year, attendees can purchase VIP tickets for the closing performance, giving access to a reserved hospitality area overlooking Festival Park, a curated international cuisine, and specially made drinks.
This year’s festival wouldn’t be possible without some amazing community sponsors and, of course, the community that continues to come out and make the festival a success year after year. Everyone has their favorite part of the IFF, whether it’s the parade, the food, the entertainment, shopping, or the culturally immersive experience itself.
McKeller Smith, who is passionate about this event and what it means and brings to the community, says, “My favorite part of IFF is seeing everyone come together to show their sense of cultural pride. I believe that making a space where our unique backgrounds can be celebrated is vital to elevating and educating our community. And…of course…THE FOOD!” McKeller-Smith is thankful for all the support, stating, “The people of Fayetteville are by far the most important group when it comes to this festival. Something like this doesn’t endure for nearly 50 years without support from the community. Beyond the community - we couldn’t do this without the gracious support of our sponsors and partners. This year’s festival sponsors are: the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC Arts Council, NC Education Lottery, T-Fiber, CBS17, Televisa/Univision, On3Build, Cumulus, Dogwood State Bank, Callahan & Rice Insurance Group, Greater Fayetteville Business Journal, Sun Asian Market, Systel Business Equipment, 143 Maxwell, and United Bank.”
The International Folk Festival has been successfully unifying the community for 47 years, which is something to be proud of. It is a community effort of organizations, business owners, city officials, and most importantly, the community that has continued to show up every year for the festival. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County has been an integral part of the festival and is excited to be celebrating another year.
“We want the community to know that we’re excited to see them later this month! Our staff, board, and event partners are working tirelessly to ensure that everyone has a fun, safe, and memorable experience at this year’s festival. If they have any questions about the festival, they should visit our IFF webpage, www.wearethearts.com/iff,” McKeller-Smith said.