A traditional Lion Dance will kick off this year’s festival. (HHJ Archives)
PERRY — The city of Perry is hoping for good weather and celebration at the upcoming Perry International Festival this weekend. Currently scheduled for Saturday in Historic Downtown Perry, the event is one of the city’s largest gatherings, organizers say, and there is something for everyone.
The Chien Hong School of Kung Fu will open the festivities with a Lion Dance; Uso’s Polynesian Entertainment will round out the night with a fire dance, and several groups in between will showcase dances and performances from every corner of the world, including Peru, India, Bulgaria, Panama, Mexico, Native America, and the Caribbean.
Roam around the event and you may also find a Polka band at Blocktoberfest, a traveling Mariachi band, or Latitude Adjustment bringing reggae flair on the steel drum on lower Carroll Street.
Along with performances, the city will also provide interactive ways to learn about different cultures, giving a chance to travel around the world in an extensive photo booth on Carroll, as well as the opportunity to learn about Native America and the Day of the Dead at exhibits on Carroll and Jernigan Streets, respectively.
If you get hungry during your travels, several of the city’s staples downtown will be open, as well as 18 food trucks and tents. The festival will also feature an international market with 35 different vendors.
Special Events Administrator Autumn Cameron said 2024 is the festival’s fourth year. The festival was inspired by the city’s previous events administrator, Anya Turpin, whose vision was to make Blocktoberfest more diverse.
“She thought it would be great to incorporate more heritages, more backgrounds and more performances from all over the world, instead of just focusing on the Blocktoberfest and German heritage and tradition. So she kind of morphed Blocktoberfest into the Perry International Festival,” Cameron said.
Cameron mentioned since its start four years ago, the event has tripled in size and provided a way to celebrate diversity in Perry.
“It’s something that the city holds very dearly, because it it gives people a way to come together and celebrate their heritages and other heritages with food, dance, art, shopping and these performers. You really see their passion for representing where they come from and who they are,” Cameron said.
Cameron has taken over planning the event this year and said it has been wonderful working with Turpin for advice, booking performers and handling logistics with vendors.
“All of the performers that we work with are fantastic, all of the vendors. They are really the ones that make the International Festival what it is. And the fact that they’re so easy to work with makes it a lot less stressful,” Cameron said.
Overall, Cameron said the city strives to foster a socially diverse community and attending the event guarantees stepping into a spirited and educational atmosphere. She encourages the public to bring their lawn chairs for performances and willingness to take advantage of what the free festival offers and represents.
“We say that the International Festival is our most vibrant event. We encourage everyone that attends to come dressed in their heritage, come representing their heritage, where they come from … there are attendees that show up and they’re dressed up in their heritage, and you learn something, even though you’re not really sitting in a formal educational atmosphere,” Cameron said.
This all depends on Mother Nature; Monday’s weather forecast from the National Weather Service called for a tropical cyclone heading straight for Georgia Thursday night into Friday. Cameron said the city will make a final determination on Wednesday if the festival will go on as scheduled. If it is canceled this week, the city will aim for a festival in the spring, most likely around March, pending Council approval.
The latest updates on their decision can be found on the city’s official website or social media.
More information about the Perry International Festival can be found here.
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Publish date : 2024-09-23 11:36:00
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