The Bowling Green International Festival is a festival used to bring others together through performances of traditional and modern dance & music that has been around since 1989. It was first held by the Bowling Green Human Rights Commission and the Chamber of Commerce in Fountain Square Park. The many activities have made it a very well-known festival, with 10-15,000 guests each year. The staff at the festival love being able to bring diverse communities together and help others learn about different cultures. Angela Jones, a board member of the festival, says, “It’s a chance for folks to come together and celebrate the diversity of our community.”
The International Festival includes international foods from a variety of different cultures, such as Ukraine, Mexico, Russia, and many others. There were many food trucks there, and some even had to be turned down. Mason said, “We are running out of space and have had to turn some away.” There were 56 food booth hosts to sell these foods and give others a taste of other cultures. Food can be an important part of culture, and having all these different foods from all these different places can help people get a better understanding of the cultural differences, and how different cultures have different ways of making foods.
This year’s events included three stages of both modern and traditional dance and music performances, international foods, children’s activities, and an international bazaar. Kim Mason, the festival’s executive director, said, “We try to make sure that we have a variety of attractions for all ages, and we always do things for kids, like pinata bursts and the children’s activity tent, which is very popular.” Performers such as the Academy of Flamenco’s Arts, Esmud Delkic and Mensur Mujanovic, Las Damas, Arora’s Bollywood Fusion, WKU Chinese Music Club, Halfway Home, and many more performed things such as traditional music and dance performances at this year’s international festival. They also sold pins, flags, and many other things.
As you can see, the international festivals help bring diverse communities together. They do this through food, dance, and music. It is an incredibly loved festival in our community, and we hope to see it continue throughout the years.
