09-25-13-folk-festival.gifLike many places in America, the people who make up our community come from many different countries and regions. Every year, the community’s diversity is celebrated by the International Folk Festival, which is designed to celebrate the cultural diversity of our great community by putting it on display in beautiful and engaging ways thoughout an entire weekend.

This is the 35th year that the community has come together and hosted this celebration.“The Arts Council’s International Folk Festival is everybody’s favorite trip around the world! Live performances celebrating colorful cultures, taste bud-tempting aromas, artists and craftspeople exhibiting, demonstrating and selling their work,” said Mary Kinney, the marketing director of the Arts Council Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

The festival officially begins on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and lasts until 9 p.m. This coincides with the celebration of 4th Friday, so there will be many businesses, performers and artists filling the streets of downtown Fayetteville with excitement and life.

For children, Fascinate-U, located at 116 Green St., will be open from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. and offering free admission and a fun craft that celebrates cultural diversity. Children will be making “Kente Patterns,” which are geometric patters that have specific meanings for the Ashanti people of Africa.

For art lovers, the Arts Council galleries will remain open until 9 p.m., showcasing Unique Visions: The Gift of Folk Art. The works of folk artists such as Peter Loose, Rob Manchester, Theresa Gloster and Roderick McClain among others will be on display.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, the International Folk Festival will really erupt into full swing with the Parade of Nations, which begins at 10:30 a.m. along Hay Street. During this parade all of the different countries represented in our community will march down Hay Street in traditional garb. Some groups may even perform traditional dances and music as they march. The parade is a glimpse into the many different and beautiful cultures of which Fayetteville is composed.

“The festival grows in presentation and participation every year. What started out as a one-day Sunday-on-the-Square event has blossomed into a three-day festival that welcomes more than 100,000 people,” Kinney explained.

For those who wish to learn even more about the cultures on display at the parade, live performances will follow on multiple stages in Festival Park. Performances will range from martial arts demonstration to traditional dances and songs performed by people representing many cultures, such as the Native-American Showcase. A children’s area at the park will include crafts and traditional storytellers.

Admission to the festival is free, but there will be many things to purchase at the festival. Vendors will offer beautiful and often functional works of art. Many of these mediums have years of history behind them and these unique arts and crafts serve to showcase both the history and culture of the artist. On the path leading up to the entrance of Festival Park, scores of vendors will offer a taste of their country as they offer traditional cuisine. This is unique in that the food is actually cooked and offered for sale by local community groups. Some of the fare may be familiar and some may be exotic, but all is delicious.

The festival will end on Saturday at 6 p.m., and continue for one final day on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 12 to 6 p.m. For more information, visit the website http://www.theartscouncil.com/iff.php or call 323-1776. Admission is free.

Photo: The Parade of Nations kicks off the International  Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28 on Hay Street. Photo by Wick Smith.

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