Peabody Gets Ready For 35th International Festival

PEABODY, MA - From The City of Peabody: The North Shore’s signature cultural celebration has arrived. More than 80 food booths, two entertainment stages, a jam-packed program for children, and a beer garden will take over downtown Peabody this Sunday, September 16th.

Residents and visitors can make their way downtown between 12:00 - 5:00 p.m., as the City of Peabody’s 35th Annual International Festival celebrates the different cultures that make this area so special. The festival will feature cuisine that derives from regions across the globe and make up the Peabody community’s rich ethnic heritage.

In total, there will be approximately 80 food booths staffed by local civic organizations, businesses, farms and restaurants. Most of the booths will be located on either side of Main Street. Additionally, the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce will host a Beer Garden in the North Shore Bank parking lot on Main Street. They’ll be selling craft brews from Lord Hobo Brewing Co. and will be joined by Karl’s Sausage Kitchen.

Attendees will be constantly entertained by two stages at either end of the event. One will be located in Peabody Square with the other located at the corner of Main and Washington Streets. Each stage will feature acts from local ethnic musicians and dance companies.

A Kid’s Day program will take place at East End Veterans Memorial Park on Walnut Street and includes about ten different interactive shows and activities for children. The young ones can check out the talents of the St. Vasilios Greek School Dancers or catch the magic and puppets show by Steve Devitt. Other Kid’s Day programs for this year include MaryBeth Maes and Phunk Phenomenon Hip Hop.

This year’s festival is expected to draw the largest crowd in its thirty-five-year history. One of the reasons for that may be the addition of the Fine Art on Foster program to the Artists’ Galleria on Foster Street. The galleria features the displayed work of approximately 40 local artists. Each artist submits original artwork for a competition decided by three professional judges.

For more information regarding the International Festival, please direct your calls to the Mayor’s Office at (978)-538-5700.

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