Now celebrating its 20th consecutive year, the city of Irvine’s Global Village Festival is set to bring the Irvine community together once again on Saturday, Oct. 9. This year, the Irvine Global Village Festival will feature more than a dozen live musical acts, cultural dance performances, crafts and food trucks.

There will be six total stages dedicated to hosting more than 100 musical and dance performances, including Brazilian dance act It’s Samba Showtime!, and the Jimi Hendrix Tribute band, Experience Myke. There will also be martial arts and fine arts demonstrations.

Set to take place in the Great Park in Irvine this year, the gates will open at 10:00 a.m., and close at 7:00 p.m., allowing families to get an early start and spend an entire day celebrating the different cultures of Irvine.

(Photo courtesy of the City of Irvine)

After celebrating last year’s festival in a drive-thru format, Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan said she is excited to celebrate in a traditional format outdoors as a community.

“We are excited to bring the community together again to enjoy the Irvine Global Village Festival at Great Park,” said Khan. “There will be plenty of room outdoors to take in the sounds and sights while spending time with friends and family.”

(Photo courtesy of the City of Irvine)

In addition to the city’s Global Village Festival 20 year anniversary, the city of Irvine is also celebrating its 50 year anniversary. To recognize these historic milestones, the city of Irvine is offering free admission to this year’s festival.

With an emphasis on international cuisine, attendees can expect dozens of food vendors with dishes ranging from $3 – $6 per item. This year, the city of Irvine is expanding the Global Village Festival’s Kids Village with crafts and interactive activities that include a petting zoo, henna tattoo stations and an inflatable obstacle course.

Local artists will be on-site exhibiting their work, and some artists will also submit works to the festival’s first-ever juried art exhibition.

The Irvine Global Village Festival has grown over the years since it began in 1988 as a Multicultural Festival to help recognize Irvine’s cultural diversity. Since then, the festival has continued to exceed attendance year after year, with more than 20,000 people coming to enjoy the festivities in 2011.

Today, the festival’s original organizing group has evolved to become the Irvine Multicultural Association and continues to lead the preparation and planning of the Irvine Global Village Festival each year.

The Great Park is located at 8000 Great Park Blvd., Irvine.

(Photo courtesy of the City of Irvine)

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