World Beat celebrates cultural music, dance, food and more June 24-26

Celebrate. Dance. Discover. Explore. Learn.

The World Beat Festival is a cultural exploration of music, food and fun. Whether you crave the enchanting sound of the Japanese koto or Scottish pipes are your jam, the festival features an immersive lineup of performers all weekend long. 

Celebrating more than 60 nationalities, the 25-year-old festival encourages people to experience the world, feast on ethnic food and connect to culture through crafts, demonstrations, children’s activities, parades and dragon boat racing. This year’s theme is “Let’s Dance.” 

“Dance is such a primal part of who we are. It doesn’t matter if you can dance. It’s a physical way to celebrate being together again,” said Executive Director Kathleen Fish.

Kathleen compares the community built from orchestrating 25 years of World Beat to Brigadoon, the magical Scottish village that appears for just one day every 100 years; That one day is spent in joyous celebration. 

“After 25 years, it makes a lasting impact on people,” Kathleen said. “We have three years to make up for. That’s a whole lot of dancing.”

The celebration begins Friday night with music by Chervona, a multi-ethnic, Russian and Eastern European-inspired band; a performance by Casa de la cultura Tlanese with INDUS; a dance party with DJ Prashant and the Jai Ho! Dance Troupe and fire show with Paradise of Samoa. The fire show will also happen on Saturday night.

“I’m excited about DJ Prashant. The energy he puts out when performing is a great kick-off for the festival,” said Kathleen.

New this year, there will be a canoe ceremony recognizing the Kalapuya River Protocols prior to the dragon boat races at 7:30 am. Saturday.

World Beat Festival

When: 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 24; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 25; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 26
Where: Riverfront Park, 200 Water St. NE
Cost: $5 per day; $10 for weekend pass. Free for age 14 and younger.
Info: worldbeatfestival.org

Author: Carlee Wright

Carlee Wright is a community instigator with a grand love for Salem and notably fashionable shoes (Hello, John Fluevog!) who turns waste into wearable art in her "spare" time.