SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The Festival of Cultures is back for the 28th year on Saturday.
The free festival highlights food, music and heritage from around the world. It starts at 10:30 a.m. and runs until the last performance of the night at 8 p.m.
“It’s an opportunity for people to really exchange knowledge and insights about culture,” program director Valeria Wicker said.
The event features all local vendors, food trucks and performances.
“We have a plethora of food trucks this year,” Wicker said. “We have 10 serving up Mediterranean, Polynesian food, as well as other cuisines, we have a coffee truck and some desserts, as well as Mexican food and Guatemalan food.”
Organizers are anticipating around 2,000 people in attendance this year. The new 900-space parking ramp in the Steel District will be open for parking on Saturday for the event.
Wicker said all music and dance performances, besides the band Espiral7, are local, including Etta and the Vendetta.
Etta McKinley has been performing in Sioux Falls for years. She says her band is excited to play the festival on Saturday.
“We got a little bit of some funk going on, we got some soul, but I’m just overall really excited to know the band is extremely excited and I mean we’re grateful for the opportunity to be able to perform and let people listen to our music, so it’ll be a good time,” McKinley said.
Etta and the Vendetta are set to take the Levitt stage at 12:40 p.m. Also performing is the children’s group Hot Peas N’ Butter, Jam Camp, Nepali dancers, a Burundi drumming group, Columbian guitarist Latitude Ensemble and the band Los Dos De Sinaloa.
The parade of flags starts at 7:40 p.m. with the headliner Espiral 7 starting at 8 p.m.
“You can walk around, go to the different vendors, the different food vendors, and there’s a whole bunch of different music too,” McKinley said. “It’s just a nice place to get a little bit of new culture in you.”
Wicker said they hope the pride parade and other events downtown this weekend will bring more people to the festival.
“We love when festivals are nearby our festival,” she said. “There’s kind of a cross pollination of attendees and patrons, so the more the merrier.”
