Annual Holiday Folk Fair International Runs November 22 – 24, 2024, at the Wisconsin State Fair Park
The 81st annual Holiday Folk Fair International, America’s premiere multi-cultural festival, will run from Friday, November 22 – Sunday, November 24, 2024, at the Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin.
A program of the International Institute of Wisconsin, Holiday Folk Fair International celebrates the cultural heritage of the people living in southeastern Wisconsin. This year’s theme, “Celebrate the Culture of Traditional Art,” will allow Fairgoers to explore how traditional art represents one’s cultural heritage, as it conveys traditions, values, and beliefs. The featured food of the event will be traditional desserts, which have a historical significance to many cultural groups.
The three-day event features the All Nations Theater with traditional music and dance; the World Café offering traditional dishes; the Tanzhauz, where attendees dance and sing along with a variety of musical stylings; the Coffee House, where patrons enjoy a beverage and baked goods while listening to talented musicians; Heritage Lane with unique traditions and customs through interactive exhibits; the International Bazaar, where cultural artifacts create a unique shopping experience; and the American Culinary Federation Chefs of Milwaukee Chefs Stage presented by TightSeal Exteriors and Baths featuring local chefs preparing traditional cuisine.
Special attractions this year will include invited international performers and artisans, featuring Folk Ensemble Lindyo from Croatia and Rocky Mountain Express from Utah, photographic exhibits, cultural murals produced by Milwaukee Public Schools students, the Artisan Corner, the Dirty Kettle Native American interactive display, the Wisconsin Woodturners, a Children’s Area presented by Leafguard, and a bonsai exhibit.
The annual “Cultural Awareness Program” on Friday, November 22, 2024, will allow thousands of fourth through eighth-grade students and teachers an opportunity to personally experience global connections through ethnic displays, workshops, mini-language, and genealogy classes, exhibits and demonstrations, music and dance performances, storytelling, ethnic foods, and a marketplace. The Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation will conduct a tournament on Saturday, November 23, 2024. Players can register at www.wisconsinscholasticchess.org/events/holiday-folk-fair-chess-tournament/, with registration and payment also available at the event.
Finally, more than 200 individuals will accept the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship by participating in the Folk Fair’s annual Naturalization Ceremony on November 22, 2024, at 2 p.m., and an interdenominational religious service will be held on November 24, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in the Coffeehouse.
For more information on the 2024 Holiday Folk Fair International, visit www.folkfair.org or call 414-225-6225.
