We love SUMMER in Salem. One of the coolest events downtown this summer is the annual World Beat Festival, June 29 -30. We try to go each day of the weekend and some of our favorite things include the amazing live music, the super powerful dragon boat races, and of course the food! A highlight from last summer was the opportunity to learn a dance with Salem International Folk Dancers. 🙌
The beloved World Beat festival started as a grassroots effort of community members to celebrate cultural diversity in Salem. As it grew in purpose, the founders created the Salem Multicultural Institute. Check out their story on their web site. An interesting piece of Salem history, “The inaugural Salem World Beat Festival was held in conjunction with the grand opening of Salem's long-awaited Riverfront Park on June 27-28, 1998“ How cool is that? So much to celebrate. Some of us don’t even know Salem without the Riverfront Park or the World Beat Festival.
Venti’s will be open regular hours during the weekend. We’re one block from Riverfront Park! Come in for quick, tasty and healthy food and cold beverages at Venti’s.
