Festival of Nations is making a triumphant return to Tower Grove Park following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The multicultural festival, one of the largest of its kind in the country, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, and Sunday, Aug. 28, with proceeds to benefit programs and services the International Institute of St. Louis provides to refugees and immigrants in the region.
“The Festival of Nations celebration gives our community an opportunity to come together and learn from one other while embracing our diversity,” said Arrey Obenson, president & CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis. “You’ll be able to experience different traditions in food, art, and music from countries represented around the world like Egypt, Haiti, Brazil, Japan, Bulgaria and Scotland. Over two days, we celebrate our neighbors and local businesses as a reminder of how important refugees and immigrants are to the fabric of our community.”
More than 80 food and retails vendors will be on hand, as well as community information booths and two stages for live entertainment from around the world.
Food vendors include Mira Food (Egyptian), Chifaso Manje Kreyol Grill (Haiti), La Colombianita (Colombia), the Japanese International Harvest Church (Japan) and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Bulgaria). There will be new food offerings from the Liberian Association and the Caribbean Association of St. Louis. There will also be more than 45 different retail and gift vendors alongside artisan demos.
The entertainment lineup includes performances from the Gateway Science Academy International Orchestra, Spirit of Angela (West African dance and drums), Samba Bom (Brazilian music) and more.
Also on site will be a family craft area where children can create handmade items like paper weaving to mimic Ghanian kente cloth, decorating arabesque patterns popular in the Middle East and North Africa, or folding origami.
New to the festival this year is a VIP Oasis ticket option that allows access to the Piper Palm House to enjoy food and drinks in an air-conditioned space. (Ticket sales will be announced at a later date via the festival’s event page.)
Proceeds from the festival fund the International Institute’s work to provide critical services such as educational opportunities, workforce solutions, resettlement services and social services to the St. Louis region’s immigrants and refugees. Between 2000 and 2021, the International Institute helped 11,410 people resettle in St. Louis – more than 700 alone since October 2021.
For more information about Festival of Nations, visit the official event page.
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