FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — For a few hours Saturday morning, Hay Street looked a little different.
Flags from around the world filled Downtown Fayetteville as traditional clothing, music and dancing took over the street for the Parade of Nations, one of the signature traditions of the International Folk Festival.
More than 1,000 people participated in the Sept. 26 parade, with more than 25 nations represented during the procession through downtown.
The parade was part of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County’s 48th Annual International Folk Festival, a longtime Fayetteville tradition built around something the city knows well — people from different places finding a home in the same community.
Participants represented cultures from across the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific, giving families along the parade route an opportunity to see traditions from around the world without leaving Hay Street.
Some marched carrying the flags of their home countries. Others brought traditional clothing, music and dance into the procession. Cultural organizations, families and community groups filled the route as spectators watched from sidewalks throughout downtown.
The festival has become especially fitting for Fayetteville, where generations of military families, immigrants and longtime residents have helped create a community with connections stretching far beyond North Carolina.
And the celebration did not end when the last group finished the parade.
After the procession, much of the crowd made its way to Festival Park, where the International Folk Festival continued through the afternoon with food, live performances, art and family activities.
More than two dozen food vendors were expected for this year’s festival, serving dishes connected to countries and cultures including Guyana, the Philippines, India and Puerto Rico.
The Arts Market featured handmade goods, while cultural groups continued performing on stage throughout the day. Scheduled performers included the Philippine American Club of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Latin Dance and the Azerbaijan Friendship Organization.
Families also had plenty for younger visitors to do, including a giant bounce house, visual art activities and an Instrument Petting Zoo presented by the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.
This year’s International Folk Festival actually began Friday evening with Fiesta en la Calle, a downtown celebration presented in partnership with El Centro Hispano featuring music, dancing and cultural activities along Hay Street.
By Saturday morning, however, the Parade of Nations had become the main event.
After 48 years, the International Folk Festival remains one of Fayetteville’s most recognizable community traditions. Food and entertainment may bring people downtown, but the heart of the weekend is seeing just how many cultures are represented right here at home.
For a city shaped by people who have arrived from across the country and around the world, the Parade of Nations is also a reminder that Fayetteville’s diversity isn’t something that only shows up for a festival once a year.
It’s part of who Fayetteville is.
Kres Thomas, FayToday News
kresthomas@faytoday.com
