International Festival to bring varied fun and flavors

The city of Greer's second annual International Festival will take over City Park on April 11, spotlighting nearly two dozen of the more than 100 cultures of origin of those who live and work in the Upstate.

Admission to the festival, which runs from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., is free. In addition to music, singing and dancing, activities include demonstrations ranging from sports to rolling sushi.

Food vendors will line the park promenade with tastes ranging from gyros to fajitas.

New to the festival this year will be booths representing Bermuda, Bolivia, Colombia, England, Haiti, Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Korea and Wales. Among returning booths will be France, China, India, Scotland, Japan, Senegal, and yes, the United States.

"Spring has everyone ready to enjoy outside activities, and the International Festival is the perfect event for families," said Julia Harrill, the city's events supervisor. "There are many educational opportunities such as visiting booths to learn more about different cultures. There will be crafts and activities for kids of all ages and a wide array of international entertainment will be ongoing in the amphitheater."

The city's sixth annual juried art exhibition will be held at the adjacent City Hall at the same time. The exhibition is designed to recognize the quality and diversity of work of artists in the Upstate with entries reflecting the theme "Greer Goes Global."

The inaugural festival last year was forced indoors because of rain but drew more than 1,000 visitors. France, which gave away baked goods, won the "best booth" competition.

The city of Greer, Starbucks, Citizens Building and Load, Greer State Bank and Michelin sponsor the festival, and Greer CPW and the Partnership for Tomorrow sponsor the art exhibit.

- Follow Michael Burns on Twitter @MikeNearGreer