International Festival set for Oct. 7

September 27, 2023
by Megan Smedley

Maysville Community and Technical College is a proud sponsor of the inaugural Maysville International Festival on October 7th.

The Maysville Commission on Human Rights and Maysville-Mason County Arts Commission will be hosting the festival in Maysville’s historic downtown. The event will take place from noon until 7 PM.

“The City of Maysville is made great by the contributions of people from cultures all over the world…Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Australia,” said Millicent Harding-Thomas, event chairperson. “We are holding this festival because we believe those contributions should be celebrated.”

Harding-Thomas also serves as the Director of Cultural Diversity at MCTC.

Community members from various nationalities will be partnered with downtown businesses to host displays, free cultural refreshment tastings, and music throughout the festival. 

Cultures and downtown merchants that will be participating are:  Apron Strings (Appalachia), Black Swan Consignment (China), Bradley’s Boutique (Liberia), Canvas Downtown (Rumania), Chandler’s Bar (Italy), Christian Treasures (Israel), EAT Gallery (Samoa), Forty One West (Philippines), Hippie Picker (Mexico), Kenton Stories with Spirit (Germany), KYGMC (Canada), Maysville Players (England), Merle Norman (Poland), Pandamoneum (Puerto Rico), Parc Café (Bulgaria), Stones & Granite (Cuba), and The Chameleon (Trinidad).

There will be a passport challenge with four prizes valued at $250 each. Just stop by the festival booth, get a passport, and have it stamped in each participating location.  The festival booth will be set up at the top of Market Street.  Volunteers will be distributing passports as well as merchants and cultural representatives. 

The main stage on middle Market Street will host a variety of performers, and there will be a Kid’s Corner at 2nd Street Mall.  Kid’s Corner will feature Mad Cap Puppets, art activities, games, music, dance, face painting and piñata burst that is sponsored by Straub FRC/RTL.

Performers will be Mariachi de Kentucky, Los 4 Amigos, and African Drums by Joan Brannon.  There will also be food trucks located on Second and Market Streets such as:  Folks-N-Motion Food Truck (Soul Food), Kabobske Mediterranean Food Truck (Lebanese Culture), El Caminante Food Truck (Mexican) and St. Patrick School (France).

For more information, contact Harding-Thomas at (606) 759-7141 Ext. 66196.