FAYETTEVILLE — Fayetteville’s city government and several groups will hold a new festival from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday to promote diversity and inclusion.
Organizers call the event a “Fest of All,” designed to be a “celebration of the cultures of the Ozarks.”
Dance and musical performances are planned by a variety of multicultural groups, including Raices Latinas Ballet Folklorico, the Afrique Aya Drum and Dance Company, the Ozark Highlanders Pipe Band and the TerraNova Tribal Style Bellydance Company.
Vendors and artists representing a range of ethnic backgrounds will set up booths on Block Avenue and Center Street in conjunction with this month’s First Thursday art event on the south and east ends of the downtown square.
Thursday’s free event is organized by Fayetteville’s chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the city’s Community Services division, the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas United Community Coalition, the Fayetteville Forward Inclusion Action Group and the University of Arkansas’ Multicultural Center.
“We have many people that make up Fayetteville that come from all sorts of backgrounds,” said Yolanda Fields, community services director for the city. “So we felt that there needed to be an event that celebrated all of us.”
For information, call Fayetteville’s community services division at 479-575-8260.