Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County Prepares for the 47th Annual International Folk Festival
- theartscouncil
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
Fayetteville, N.C. – The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County proudly presents the 47th Annual International Folk Festival, set to take place on September 27th in Downtown Fayetteville. This community favorite festival promises to be another spectacular celebration of cultural diversity and artistic expression.
On Friday, September 26th the Arts Council will support Cool Spring Downtown District’s Fourth Friday, with live cultural music, dance and so much more filling Hay Street. In addition to the festivities happening outside, the Arts Council will open its doors for the opening reception of its new exhibit, Multi-Faceted: Mixed Media and Connected Identities.
The Parade of Nations kicks off the festival on Saturday, September 27th at 10AM with over 25 nations represented and over 1,000 marchers in the parade procession. Upon the parade’s conclusion at noon, follow your nose to Festival Park where over two dozen food vendors will be serving authentic food from their country with many using “grandma’s” recipe food and art vendors filling the IFF footprint. This year the public can expect cuisines from Thailand, Liberia, Venezuela, Ghana, El Salvador, and Honduras to name a few. Visitors wanting to get ahead of holiday shopping will have a variety of unique handmade arts.
Festival goers will be greeted with an array of activities to keep them entertained throughout the day. Our children’s area will feature a giant bounce house as well as an Instrument Petting Zoo presented by Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. The Arts Council has also partnered with the Raleigh-based non-profit, El Centro Hispano, to present “Fiestas en La Calle,” an area filled with Latin American cuisines, music, performances, and artisan vendors.
This year’s festival will close with headlining performances by Pamela Williams and Marcus Johnson. This concert is presented by Sandhills Jazz Society and will take place at 7PM on the Main Stage in Festival Park. The public also has the option to purchase VIP tickets for an elevated experience including international cuisines and specialty drink options. VIP tickets can be purchased using this link: https://bit.ly/IFFVIP25
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is grateful for the generous support of our sponsors, including T-Fiber, NC Education Lottery, CBS17, Televisa/Univision, Cumulus Media, Greater Fayetteville Business Journal, United Bank, NC Arts Council, City of Fayetteville, and Cumberland County. Their commitment to our community is what helps bring this festival to life.
Event Details:
What: 47th Annual International Folk Festival
Dates: September 26-27, 2025
Times: Friday: 6PM | Saturday: 10AM - 9:30PM
Location: Downtown Fayetteville, NC | Festival Park
Admission: Free
For regular updates on the Arts Council, please follow the organization @artscouncilfay on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and/or YouTube.
###
ABOUT THE ARTS COUNCIL OF FAYETTEVILLE|CUMBERLAND COUNTY
The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization based in Fayetteville, N.C. that connects our communities, embraces diversity, promotes individual creativity, advances economic development, and fosters lifelong learning through the arts. As the primary steward of public and private funding for arts, cultural and history activities in the Cape Fear Region, the Arts Council and the agencies it supports are known for the core values of excellence, accountability, transparency, collaboration, and innovation. theartscouncil.com
Grants, programs, and services of the Arts Council are funded, in part, by contributions from community partners and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. ncarts.org
Comments