Cumberland County is a diverse community with people of all nationalities calling this community home, and that cultural diversity will be on display Friday and Saturday at the 48th Annual International Folks Festival downtown.
Itโs colorful.
Itโs cultural.
Itโs a celebration.
Based on crowds at the 2019, 2022, and 2023 festivals, organizers expect attendance during the event to reach 30,000 people, according to Kennon Jackson Jr., president and chief executive officer for the presenting Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County. โAbout 7,000 Friday evening and 23,000 Saturday, weather permitting,โ he said.
The festival kicks off from 6โ9 p.m. Friday, when the Arts Council partners with El Centro Hispano from Raleigh to present Fiesta en la Calle on Hay Street. The event features live music and dance.
โParticipating artists will also be scattered throughout Hay Street to the Market House and beyond,โ Jackson said.
Festivalgoers also can visit the Arts Council and take part in a mail art workshop inspired by the current Arts Councilโs Celebration of Sapphire: Mail Art from Around the World exhibit.
Here is CityViewโs guide to the event.
Parade of Nations
Call Friday the prelude.
The festival ramps up Saturday at 10 a.m. with the Parade of Nations along Hay Street. Jackson said the All-American Marching Band will lead 25 nations and an estimated 1,000 marchers.
After the parade, the festival moves to Festival Park along Ray Avenue. Participating groups are:
- Alma Vela
- Aloha Kaโnaka O Hula Halau
- Alpha Academy
- Cape Fear Scottish Clans
- Caribbean Islanders
- Cumberland International Early College
- Fayetteville Okinawa Kenjikai
- Fayetteville Latin Dance Studios
- Friends of Jamaica
- Ghana Association of Greater Fayetteville
- Golden Battalion Hard Camo Fete Troupe
- Grupo Hondureรฑo
- Guyana
- Herencia Catracha
- La Esencia Borinqueรฑa
- Lแปญa Viแปt Performing Arts
- Nigeria Cultural Association
- Panama
- Peruvian Club of Fayetteville
- Philippine American Club of Fayetteville
- Ryuโs Taekwondo
- Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church
- Southeastern North Carolina Asian Indian Association
- SGRO Martial Arts
- Takiri Folclor Latino
There will be more than two dozen food vendors at the park, according to a news release. Look for cuisine from Guyana, the Philippines, India, Puerto Rico, and other countries. And there will be performances by the Philippine American Club of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Latin Dance, and the Azerbaijan Friendship Organization. And for folks on the lookout for unique handmade cultural crafts, you may wish to peruse the Arts Market.ย
โIt is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of Fayetteville and Cumberland County with local art, music, food and cultural awareness,โ Betty Goolsby, chair of the Arts Councilโs board of directors, said Tuesday.
โIt celebrates the local roots that make us a strong community.
โSome 30,000 to 35,000 festivalgoers are expected over the weekend, thus having a very positive impact on tourism,โ Goolsby said. โLocal businesses will certainly profit from the exposure. The events are free, so it is an excellent opportunity to celebrate what brings us together while celebrating our cultural diversity.โ
Epilogue
We can thank the late Martha Duell and the late Mildred Evans for bringing the International Folk Festival downtown. Duell was a co-founder of Cape Fear Botanical Garden and creator of Lafayette Society. Evans was a former member of the Fayetteville City Council.
Their shared vision was an event where all, no matter where they came from, could come together and celebrate a communityโs diversity.
Evans died at age 94 on March 23, 2011. Duell died at age 90 on July 24, 2015.
The International Folk Festival has become a community staple, just like Martha Duell and Mildred Evans envisioned almost 50 years ago.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
