By Shawn Nowlin
It’s often said that the best memories in life are free.
For those who enjoy live entertainment, learning about different cultures and exploring some of the best food imaginable, Elmwood Park was the place to be last Saturday for the Annual Local Colors Festival.
Now in its 33rd year, the free event is widely recognized as Roanoke’s premier multicultural festival. Beginning at 11 a.m., the joyful occurrence lasted for roughly six hours. Although there was a 55 percent chance of rain, to the satisfaction of everyone, that did not happen.
After the opening ceremony featuring a grand procession of nations kicked things off, the amphitheater began hosting various performances in dance, music and other traditional arts from various countries across the globe.
More than a dozen acts graced the stage, including Carol Joy & TriColor, CommUnity Arts Reach, Haitian Social Circle, Lijiang Sister City Dance Group, World of Dance, North Cross Spanish Program, Southwest Virginia Ballet and Sydney Dayyani.
More than sampling some traditional meals, Sky Johnson’s favorite part of the festival was interacting with the artisans. “I am really big into collecting trinkets of all kinds. I not only got myself something, but took care of a few upcoming birthdays too,” she said.
Roughly five dozen different countries and cultures were represented this year. In homage of Wonju celebrating 60 years as a sister city with Roanoke, South Korea was this year’s featured country. The Local Colors passport program gave children an opportunity to explore different countries while stamping their passports.
“We can’t get a better understanding of each other if the extent of our conversations is just an occasional ‘hello.’ When people attend Local Colors, it is important that they not only learn, but also have fun. So many have told me that this is their favorite Roanoke Valley annual event because of everything it represents,” Local Colors Executive Director Lisa Spencer said.
Ta’Niah Walker was not surprised that so many people gathered at Elmwood Park last Saturday. “For me, Local Colors is about as good as it gets. There just aren’t many events like it. I tried different foods for the first time and it actually exceeded my expectations. I encourage everyone to attend this event at least once,” Walker said.
The Annual Local Colors Festival doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Months of preparation from many parties is required to successfully put it on every May. For the most up to date information, visit localcolors.org
