The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County proudly presents the 47th Annual International Folk Festival, set to take place on Sept. 27 in downtown Fayetteville. This community favorite festival promises to be another spectacular celebration of cultural diversity and artistic expression.

On Friday, Sept. 26 the Arts Council will support Cool Spring Downtown District’s Fourth Friday, with live cultural music, dance and so much more filling Hay Street. In addition to the festivities happening outside, the Arts Council will host an opening reception for its new exhibit, Multi-Faceted: Mixed Media and Connected Identities.

The Parade of Nations kicks off the festival on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. with over 25 nations represented and over 1,000 marchers in the parade procession. Upon the parade’s conclusion at noon, head to Festival Park where over two dozen food vendors will be serving authentic food from their country. This year the public can expect cuisines from Thailand, Liberia, Venezuela, Ghana, El Salvador and Honduras to name a few. Visitors wanting to get ahead of holiday shopping will have a variety of unique handmade arts to browse.

Festival goers will be greeted with an array of activities to keep them entertained throughout the day. The children’s area will feature a giant bounce house as well as an Instrument Petting Zoo presented by Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. The Arts Council has also partnered with the Raleigh-based non-profit, El Centro Hispano, to present “Fiestas en La Calle,” an area filled with Latin American cuisines, music, performances and artisan vendors.

This year’s festival will close with headlining performances by Pamela Williams and Marcus Johnson. This concert is presented by Sandhills Jazz Society and will take place at 7 p.m. on the Main Stage in Festival Park. The public also has the option to purchase VIP tickets for an elevated experience including international cuisines and specialty drink options. VIP tickets can be purchased using this link: https://bit.ly/IFFVIP25.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is grateful for the generous support of their sponsors, including T-Fiber, NC Education Lottery, CBS17, Televisa/Univision, Cumulus Media, Greater Fayetteville Business Journal, United Bank, NC Arts Council, City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. 

To learn more about how the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is a driving force behind the culture and arts industry in our area, pick up an issue of our next print edition of the journal coming out on 9/19 for a feature story on ACF.