From all around the world and from all walks of life, people gather to live, work and raise their families in this beautiful city. New people bring new ideas, perspectives and stories to share with each other, and it’s that sort of blend that makes Irvine so beautiful in the first place. Sometimes, however, we need to take the time to celebrate the variety of people that have established their lives here, and all the cultures they bring to the table.

Irvine’s city government, thankfully, shares this sentiment with us. In fact, to honor the diversity that spices up life in this town, they’ve put on the Global Village Festival every year since 2002 (although the first was in 2000). As the years have gone by, each festival has been bigger than the last, and this year’s celebration on Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13 will be no exception. 

There’ll be a cornucopia of booths, live performances, speakers and other activities and events to help showcase every vibrant color and pattern on the quilt of Irvine. 

(Courtesy of the city of Irvine)

Live entertainment this year will include a wide variety of dance troupes and musicians from around the world performing across dozens of genres and styles. Guests can check out showcases of everything from Chinese folk dancing and traditional Korean drumming to Cajun and Zydeco music, along with martial arts and Thai fruit-carving demonstrations.

In 1998, a small collective of residents first got the idea to bring the people a festival to promote the area’s different cultures. It was called, fittingly enough, the Multicultural Festival, and interest began to pick up after the following year’s celebration. People began to flood in after the festival was moved to a larger venue to encourage attendance.

For the year after that, they decided to take a new direction, branding themselves as the Irvine Global Village Festival. They also celebrated their previous success by heading to the Irvine Civic Center, drawing approximately 4,000 people to the event as a result.

(Courtesy of the city of Irvine)

To keep the tradition going and growing every year, the original founders got together and formed the Irvine Multicultural Association, where they dedicate themselves to the task year-round. Their cooperation has paid off in spades.

Predictably, the proceeding years have brought about recognition for their efforts. Back in 2009, O.C. Weekly handed them the crown of “Best Festival,” even though their best was yet to come. They’d top themselves again in 2011, which marked the 40th anniversary of Irvine and the festival’s 10th birthday. More than 20,000 attendees showed up, and a new tradition took root when they decided to take a stand to promote global peace with the United Nations Art Miles Mural Project, which allows younger attendees to create artwork included in a massive, beautiful display.

(Courtesy of the city of Irvine)

The time and effort they’ve dedicated to empowering the different nationalities, religions and cultures that make up the city is immense, and while local publications have taken note, it was about time for some attention on a larger scale. They ended up receiving exactly that when the National League of Cities honored the city of Irvine with a Cultural Diversity Award. Among other things, it recognized the creative efforts taken to start programs highlighting acceptance and celebration of diversity in the community.

With all this recognition and an established reputation, they still haven’t slowed down. They’ve stuck to their original mission of continuous expansion, and last year saw their greatest array of offerings yet with over 115 performances, an array of cultural and religious exhibits, kid-focused activities, an expansive international marketplace, and a variety of global cuisines.

While the environmentally conscious might be wondering about the waste potentially created by all this, there’s no need to worry. 

The organizers are dedicated to creating a zero-waste environment, where even the T-shirts, signs and banners are intended for reuse, or at least designed to be biodegradable. They also utilize composting methods and make sure all plates and utensils are either compostable or recyclable. 

In keeping with this trend, they’d like you to utilize reusable goods whenever necessary, including water bottles and other beverage containers, bags, if you decide to go shopping, and considering carpooling in your friend’s new electric car (or doing whatever else you can to decrease your carbon footprint).

Carpooling would also offer more benefits for those attending the growing festival. Parking will be scarce for those who aren’t able to arrive before it opens, or at least when it starts. If you want to do your part to make it easier for yourself and your fellow Irvine folk, we’d suggest you and your friends or family try to fill up every seat you’ve got. The festival’s about bringing people closer together, after all.

The event is going to be held in Orange County Great Park this year, although if you’re going to be taking an Uber or similar rideshare service, you’ll need to direct them to the Great Park Tennis Complex Parking Lot. 

Irvine is a beautiful place with an outstanding tapestry of lives that make it what it is. As parts of that tapestry ourselves, we owe it to those around us to celebrate each other and take pride in our unique spread of individuals. 

You can do it every day by supporting local business and cultural institutions, but make sure you’re really ready to take pride by checking in with the city of Irvine site for exact details on the festival and all sorts of other events happening in town this year.

Tickets to the festival are $5 per day, per person for those ages 3 and older. One-day family passes are available for $20 and cover admission for up to six people. Tickets can be purchased here. 

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