The beat of the native drum circle and jingle dresses felt like home as we entered the event. Helpful volunteers were identified by the T-shirt they wore bearing by brother's design. In exchange for his work, we were provided 'VIP' access that included a tent with a prime view of the main stage and refreshments to cool down in between our rounds (shout out to the friendly and attentive VIP tent volunteers). Positive energy and pride exuded throughout Riverfront park during this long standing cultural festival as groups were decked out in regalia and traditional dress in preparation for a performance. The diversity and representation witnessed as I made my way through made my heart burst with joy. Making a choice on what to eat was tough, as there were more food trucks and options than I had seen before. ChoicesI went with Flourish Spices & African Food's 'Little bit of everything' plate and added a puff puff. It included black eyed peas, plantains, chicken and fish (they were very popular and had run out of rice that was normally included). My tastebuds agreed with my selection and savored every bite of food that perfectly complemented the other. The fish was well cooked and seasoned, very easy to separate from the bones. The puff puff was a fried dough, like a cross between a beignet and a hush puppy, but savory, and was a nice addition to my meal. I only wish I would've added vegetables, but had plenty to satisfy my appetite. There were also a lot of beverage options including specialty coffees, Aqua frescas, Hawaiian ice, flavored lemonades, and a beer garden with wine, cider, and brews. Vendor booths offered everything from turban wraps, native beaded earrings, and felted hats to African braiding, henna tattoos and cultural wares. A dedicated children's area had activities to keep the littles entertained while learning. Story tellers from across the globe shared folk tales and exposed guests of all ages to other cultures. I enjoyed watching traditional dancing and performances on multiple stages throughout the venue. Dragon boat races brought a thrill from the waterway below. Acosia Red Elk, an international award winning jingle dancer and enrolled member Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, took the stage explaining the origin of her regalia and shared an inspirational message with the crowd about intentions and connection. Supaman, a Native American dancer, hip hop artist, inspirational speaker and member of the Apsáalooke Nation on the Crow Reservation, leveled up; bringing energy to the outdoor amphitheater by inviting guests up to the stage to contribute to a beat box compilation with DJ Element, throwing out CDs for crowd participation, and ending with fan favorites. The Parade of Lights awed the audience with their flaming headpieces, wings, and torches as they made their grand entry around and up to the stage while members blew conch shells. This stunning and well thought out event drew interest across Salem, selling out tickets on Saturday. Many people I spoke to had been attending, volunteering, or participating for up to 15 years. Bravo and congratulations on a truly spectacular weekend! read more

World Beat Festival - Festivals Near Me

Solid 4 star experience. 2015 fest review. Located on salem waterfront admission was $5 a person $15 for entire families. It was a fun time. It was not the best world music festival I had ever been to but it was nice. 3-4 stages of performers with folk dancing performances on the grass. Lots of ethnic food options, but they need more variety as far as countries represented. We had cuisine from the Greek and the Ethiopian food stalls. Both were flavorful and we would get them again. The young lady running the Ethiopian stall must have been having a bad day because she vibrated that feeling to her customers and was very unfriendly. We enjoyed the performances. The Iraqi music Ronny and Sherzad on guitar and keyboard was our favorite. Iraqi fusion music with latin and other cultural influences. We also enjoyed the Gamelan group. If I was the planner of this fest I would put the Gamelan Group farther away from the other performances. Gamelan is quiet and they were drowned out by the taiko drumming taking place at the next stage over. My Mr. said he would have liked if all the stages were spread out a little farther as to not drown out the other performances. The people running the salem drum circle group were very friendly and we jumped right in and jammed with them. They invited me back to perform with them on stage later that day, but we had limited time so we could not take part. There were a few vendors selling their wares. Much of it was the same- skirts, scarves, tapestries,boho gear,incense, etc. A few of the booths had really reasonable prices and we scored a few things. I would have liked to have seen more of a variety of clothes and wares offered up for sale. We had fun it was not that far of a drive 45-60 min from Portland ..we will return to this festival again. Plenty of on street parking. Sunday was not crowded with just the right amount of people in attendance. read more

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Conducted by the non-profit Salem Multicultural Institute, the festival occurs the last weekend in June. Features include Dragon Boat Races, Cultural workshops and entertainment, cooking classes, and food and product vendors. Donations are suggested when entering the venue and a portion of donations are used to fund children's cultural events in the community. read more

The World Beat Festival is a great event for families. Everyone else? Mmm, not so much. I've visited the festival for the past two years and had an "A-OK" experience. There are stalls all over River front park representing various countries around the world. Most of these stalls are vendors selling jewelry or other random stuff. Occasionally there is a stall that teaches children about specific traditions or cultures of a certain country. These are free and are supervised by volunteers, many avoid interacting with you and prefer to sit in the shade. The remaining stalls are food or local vendors trying to sign you up for something. The best thing about this event is the performances. There are about three stages within the "village" where various performers come to dance, sing or play instruments. I loved listening to John Doan, who played a 20 string guitar. He told some great stories and played pieces that he composed himself! We also saw some great performers at the large amphitheater. Here's the thing, other than the performances, there isn't much to see or do if you don't have a pocket filled with cash or kiddos who want to learn. The food wasn't great this year in particular and the stalls were mainly people trying to sell you their random goods. Having this event in Salem is huge, a rare thing to have in this city. However, if you miss it, its no big deal. read more

The people in the front are pushy sales. For instance I donated 3 for myself for entrance fee, they are like, just 2 more dollars you can get this coupon. It is good for governors cup of coffee. Do you like coffee? Seriously the conversation was worse than going to buy a car!! The shops are a RIP OFF. One place was selling this nail kits for 4x the price you can buy on ebay. Then there is the usual asian umbrellas for sale, $10 each. Elephant ears are $6 and they are smaller than the ones at the fair. Let me say this, elephant ears are just flat churros. It has cinnamon and sugar. Of course, there is the usual fattening curly fries, german brats, and bubble tea. One of the booth was spinning a fortune wheel, for martial arts. The guy then tries to sign you up and schedule an appointment. Pushy sales again. Then there is a fortune wheel to spin for oil can henrys. Then there is 'stamps' for kids where they have this passport book and try to get it stamp. I went with 2 kids, 12 and 9 years old. They both were so bored, I felt so bad. Free booths, children activities include making a morraco, and making lanterns. Honestly, there isnt that great of entertainment. I really think they should set up more chairs to sit. read more