The annual Skokie Festival of Cultures will bring its annual parade of cultural groups, dance and music performances, display booths, interactive events, food, drink and more to Oakton Park on May 18 and 19 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
The opening ceremony will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. with contingents from every culture parading into the event area and being introduced onstage.
Throughout the open hours, visitors can browse booths from many cultures, which offer carvings, costumes, art, cultural artifacts and more on display. Some offer interactive features, such as volunteers who will draw decorative mehndi on visitors’ hands.
In this file photo, Lobsang Wangdak greeted visitors to the Tibetan cultural booth at the 2023 Skokie Festival of Cultures. (Pam DeFiglio, Chicago Tribune/Pioneer Press)
Entertainment from dance and music troupes, as well as demonstrations of martial arts, will take place onstage throughout both days, and vendors will offer food and drink.
There will be a children’s game and activity area.
A festival finale will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The festival, which is free to attend, is held at Oakton Park, 4701 Oakton St., Skokie. There is a free parking lot onsite, but overflow parking can be found north of Oakton Street.
