Salem’s World Beat Festival returns this weekend with vendors and multicultural food and drinks. This year, the festival celebrates 25 years of a festival of music, dance, food and traditions for more than 70 countries and cultures, according to their website.
The festival is set up in Riverfront City Park so that vendors from the same or similar region/continent are grouped together. The groups include Africa, Middle East, Americas Village, West Asia Pacific Village, East Asia Pacific Village and European Village, and other vendors will be on the Coliseum and Grand Boulevard.
Vendors will be open throughout the festival. Most follow the general festival hours with a few exceptions, such as the sale. Feel free to walk around and buy whatever you want. Each vendor will receive at least one special dish highlighting their culture for $5. Alcoholic drinks will be served in the amphitheater.
The festival is at 200 Water Street NE from 5 PM – 10 PM on Friday, 10 AM – 11 PM on Saturday, and 11 AM – 7 PM on Sunday.
Here’s who’s coming and what they might bring to this year’s festival:
Africa and Middle East Village
African spices and foods flourished: A West African grocery store based in Salem. Their special dish is jollof rice.
Americas Village
Don Froilan CreamerySalem-based Mexican creamer makes her own cheese. Their special dish will be quesadillas with their own cheese.
Mi Cucina Mexicana: Their special dish is aloe vera juice.
West Asia and the Pacific Village / East Asia and the Pacific Village
Greater Salem Philippine American Society: Assembly of Filipinos in the Salem and Mid Valley area. Their special dish is the cassava and pico mix.
Momiji Sushi Restaurant: Salem-based sushi chain that mainly serves rolls and nigiri. They do not have a special dish.
Cotton candy summer art: a cotton candy artist who will be the shape of snowflakes in the form of a cartoon.
european village
Ice cream dreams: They won’t have a special kind, they just serve a bunch of ice cream.
Paella del Zorro: Spanish Paella food stall, regular vendor at Salem Saturday Market. Theirs is a mini paella, between two to three ounces.
Weekend coffee roasters: Family owned coffee roasters based in Albany.
amphitheater
Guamanian GrillA family owned food truck serving traditional chamorro (Guam) recipes. Theirs is the Hava Adai fruit salad.
no gitana: Mediterranean restaurant outside Beaverton serving gyros, Lebanese and American food. Their special is a small greek salad.
Little India: An Indian food cart stationed at the Beehive station in South Salem. They will serve butter chicken, chana masala, vegetable pakoras, chana samosas, vegetable samosas, gulab jamun, pani puri and mango lasses. Theirs is Gulav Jamun.
The taste of Ethiopia: This specialty Ethiopian food restaurant is tibes sauteed beef served with injera.
Manila Festival: The only authentic Filipino restaurant in Salem that is family run will feature chicken, pork adobo, lumpia, and pancit. They will have their own cassava suman.
World Beat Garden of Beer, Wine & Cider
Grand Boulevard
Red apple juice barSalem-based juice bar, formerly located in Salem Centre.
Em Chan covers food and dining in the Statesman Journal. You can access it at[email protected]Follow her on Twitter @catch up with pityOr see what you eat on Instagram @sikfanmei.ah.