Festival of Nations
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The Festival of Nations is an annual festival that takes place in St. Paul, Minnesota in order to celebrate the diverse cultural heritage of the citizens of the United States. Founded in 1932 as the Folk Festival by Alice Sickels of the International Institute of Minnesota, the first festival was held in the local St. Paul YMCA. An open invitation was given to any ethnic group interested in taking part. In 1934, the festival moved to the St. Paul Municipal Auditorium (now RiverCentre), where it has remained since. It is the longest continuously running event at the facility. Today, more than 10,000 volunteers, representing 90 different ethnic groups are now involved in various activities during the four day long festival. Participants take part in activities that range from ethnic dramas to working in and serving food at special cafes that serve international cuisine.
