33rd Local Colors Festival to bring culture, music, and more to Elmwood Park
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — One festival is back and is adding a kick of flavor to the Star City.
Taking off at Elmwood Park on May 18, the Local Colors Festival is bringing the Roanoke community together to celebrate, share, and learn about cultural heritages through music, arts, crafts, attire, language, and goodwill.
Saturday at 11 a.m., the festival will start with an opening ceremony and the Procession of Nations. Residents with heritages rooted in different parts of the world can display their cultural traditions and carry their flags.
“You will see people in cultural dress and carrying the flags of their native country, because of course the food is the big draw,” said Lisa Spencer, the executive director. “It really is a place to come and experience many different cultures.”
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After the opening ceremony, live music will fill the park along with dance performances, and martial arts demonstrations. More than 50 vendors will be present with different cuisines highlighting flavors from around the world.
Nelson Pantoja, the owner of Empanada Nirvana, has been with Local Colors for two years. He says at the festival there is a taste of everything.
Empanda Nirvana dives into an array of authentic and fresh Puerto Rican food. Pantoja puts his passion and heart into his creations, from freshly made chicken and cheese empanadas to yuca fries.
“We feature probably nine to ten different flavors of empanadas on top of other Puerto Rican background foods,” said Pontoja. “Everything we do is all homemade. It comes from generations of my family’s recipes to my great, great, great grandmother.”
Roanoke and Wonju, South Korea celebrate 60 years as sister cities
The family-friendly event is rain or shine and features several children’s activities. To keep children engaged, Local Colors is a passport program. This gives kids the chance to explore different countries while stamping their passports.
Making a stop in Haiti, Sherley Baptiste, the owner of Coin Antillais, says this is the first time they have participated in the Local Colors Festival. To give festival-goers a sneak peek, Baptiste joins WFXR News in the studio.
This year’s festival stamps the return of South Korea to Roanoke. South Korea’s Mayor will be present to celebrate Roanoke and Wonju being sister cities for 60 years.
To learn more about the festival, visit the Local Colors website.
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