A local festival celebrating the region’s diversity returns this weekend. Local Colors will be celebrating three decades of cultural appreciation by highlighting more than 50 nations through performances, food, and fun.
The Local Colors Festival is returning for its 35th year this Saturday. Executive Director of Local Colors, Lisa Spencer, says the festival grew from humble beginnings, with the first ‘Local Colors’ representing just four countries, “Each table had cultural artifacts and things that were representative of that culture. Pearl Fu, who was the representative for China, thought, ‘You know what? This needs to happen on a regular basis.’ Thus, the Local Colors festival was born.”
Spencer says within five years, the festival grew to represent 30 countries, with a Parade of Nations and live performances attracting a crowd. She says she thinks the region’s diversity is what has made this festival such a success over the years, “We’re a diverse area. We have been open and welcoming to immigrants. We’re a resettlement city. And this is a way to give nod to the diversity that exists in the Roanoke Valley, and so I think that people, you know, want to honor that.”
Local Colors will kick off at 11 AM this Saturday in Elmwood Park. Admission is free, and attendees can look forward to a day of celebration and cultural exchange through music, the arts, and food.
The post Local Colors Festival Returns to Celebrate its 35th Year first appeared on News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR.
