Around the World Cultural Food Festival

No passports or visas are required for the Around the World Cultural Food Festival, which brings the flavors, sights and sounds of dozens of countries to Oronoco Bay Park in Old Town Alexandria. Bring a picnic blanket and your appetite to this free event, and you’ll feel like you’ve taken a whirlwind journey around the globe.

During the festival, simple white tents are emblazoned with the name of the country each food vendor is representing, from China to Syria. Here you’ll be able to buy everything from tacos and empanadas to Jamaican jerk chicken and papaya salad from Laos. More than 100 artisans and crafters representing dozens of countries sell their wares in an outdoor marketplace, and a stage is set up for an entire day’s worth of live performances from dancers, singers and musicians from 12 countries.

“It’s a beautiful celebration of cultures,” says Corina Serbanescu, Royal Events Group senior business development director. “There’s no other festival in the DMV like this one.”

Royal Events Group’s festival division, Chic Events DC, produces dozens of outdoor events all across the area, but its Around The World Cultural Food Festival boasts its own unique planning process.

Every single bite served here is scrutinized in a process that begins up to six months ahead of time. The list of vendors is limited to 20 to 24 countries, so diners won’t be overwhelmed, and they’ll be able to make a meal by trying all sorts of cuisine, like yakisoba noodles from Japan or Peruvian donuts.

“We have tried to keep everything that is related to this festival 100% traditional and authentic,” says Serbanescu. “Every single item that’s listed on that menu is literally curated to make sure that it originated and is traditional to that place.”

Vendors must submit all the menus featuring which dishes they will serve, and a committee approves each item to make sure it is part of the traditional cuisine from the country the food vendor represents — and if an item isn’t approved, it can’t be sold.

That commitment to detail is what sets the Around the World Cultural Food Festival apart, according to Serbanescu. “I know that a lot of people are coming there just because it’s fun and it’s outdoors and there’s food and music. But the overall concept should be more than just the food and music. It should be the cultural aspect and educational aspect of it,” she says.

Learning about other cultures is the ethos behind the festival, which draws 20,000 guests each year. The Around the World Cultural Food Festival traces back to water cooler talk between Royal Events Group team members, who are a diverse group. “We’re from everywhere, from every corner of the world,” says Serbanescu, who is Romanian.

As the employees chatted about food, customs, history and little-known facts from their respective countries, that’s when the light bulb went off that a day of learning about different countries “might be a really good idea for a festival,” Serbanescu says.

Today, this celebration of food, culture, and community is held each year in Oronoco Bay Park, making the jump to Alexandria five years ago from downtown Washington. This year marks the 10th Around the World Cultural Food Festival and its fifth year in Alexandria. “When we had the first event in Alexandria, [we thought] this is our new home,” Serbanescu says, calling out the park’s beauty, central location, and the nice breeze that comes in from the nearby Potomac River.

Cultural education happens naturally at the festival, like the way each performance begins with an introduction that explains the dance or music or the costumes that the performers are wearing, or the way diners can learn about iconic dishes from each country. But there’s plenty to do that’s just for fun too, including two beer gardens for adults and inflatable bounce houses for kids.

After the festival, visitors can stay longer and enjoy more of Alexandria’s global food scene, where every dish helps unlock a new story.

Visit the Around the World Cultural Food Festival on August 29 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Oronoco Bay Park, located at 100 Madison Street in Alexandria. Admission is free, and traditional dishes and beverages from 20 countries are available for purchase. Live performances are scheduled throughout the day.