by Shawn Nowlin
The Annual Local Colors Festival, which was born out of a small downtown festival in 1991 to highlight the cultures of different countries, has been a treasured Roanoke tradition for decades.
Put on by Local Colors of Western Virginia, this year’s event began at 11 a.m. and lasted for nearly six hours at Elmwood Park. The information booths, food, creative performances and cultural traditions brought awareness to more than 60 countries.
From face painting to unique soaps, this year’s event had a little something for everyone. While it’s impossible to give an exact account, the number of individuals who attended last Saturday’s event was easily in the thousands.
More than 15 acts participated in the stage program: Southwest Virginia Ballet, North Cross Spanish Program, Bangladesh Folk Dance Group, Lijiang Dance Group, Springhouse Community School, Dream Dance Studio, Santiago Prada and Friends, Sydney Dayyani, Gungroo Beats, World of Dance, DJ Ruby Star, Carol Joy and TriColor, Indian Classical Dance, Shaolin Dragons and Hope of Israel.
Some people crossed state lines to attend this year’s festival. Since Charlotte resident Justin Monroe couldn’t attend Local Colors last year because of a prior obligation, he made sure to be present this time around.
“When I parked my car downtown and saw so many different people heading in the same direction, I knew I was about to experience something special,” Monroe said. “It was super important that I learned at least one thing from every culture that was represented. Events like this don’t happen every day, so you have to take advantage when it does.”
According to Roanoke Arts and Culture Coordinator Doug Jackson, the Star City is Virginia’s only designated Welcoming City. Lisa Spencer, the Local Colors Festival Executive Director, wholeheartedly understands why that is the case.
For Nina Walker, she took last Saturday as an opportunity to catch up with family and friends. “As I walked through Elmwood Park, one word that I kept hearing was ‘authenticity.’ It seemed like there were way more vendors and artisans this year,” Walker said.
She added, “The way that I see it, Local Colors represents the best that Roanoke has to offer. Representation absolutely matters, and I’m grateful that an event like this exists.”
The mission of the Annual Local Colors Festival has remained the same for the last 34 years: to celebrate international cultures, foster the values of inclusion and build multicultural understanding.
Additional information can be found at https://localcolors.org.
