Keene International Festival Returns Saturday With Food, Music and Cultural Activities

Organizers said the event is meant to help people connect with neighbors.

The Keene Recreation Center will host the city’s eighth annual International Festival on Saturday, bringing a free afternoon of music, dance, food, crafts and hands-on cultural activities.

The event is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is being put together by volunteers with backing from sponsors, the City of Keene and the recreation center. Organizers Aggie Cercosimo and Lisa Abohatab outlined the plans during an appearance on WKBK, saying this year’s festival will mix returning attractions with new additions.

Performances will run throughout the event and are expected to include Jamaican reggae, Colombian dance, Peruvian dancers, Indian music and martial arts, English Morris dancing and Japanese martial arts. Organizers said the goal is to keep the program moving with a steady rotation of acts.

Visitors will also find a range of food options, with vendors serving Indian, Pakistani, Peruvian, Eastern European, Mexican and Finnish dishes. Craft sellers will offer items such as jewelry, crochet pieces, paintings, candles and souvenirs tied to cultures from El Salvador, India, Peru, Rwanda, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Family activities are part of the day as well. Planned children’s offerings include Japanese balloons, German hammering, henna, calligraphy and other culture-based crafts, although some details were still being finalized before the festival.

Organizers said the event is meant to help people connect with neighbors who have ties to other countries and to encourage questions about customs, traditions and cultural backgrounds through food, clothing, music and art. Admission and entertainment are free, while food and merchandise will be available for purchase.

If the weather turns poor, most performances can be shifted indoors. Food vendors, however, are expected to stay outside.