A day of festive music, authentic international food, fun and educational activities is planned with the return of the Bowling Green International Festival at Circus Square Park.

In its 32nd year, the festival will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 24, rain or shine.

Kim Mason, executive director of the festival, said preparation is underway and volunteers are still needed.

“We are also going through applications and are trying to get promotions going,” she said.

The festival will feature three stages for performing artists, foods from around the world, children’s activities, cultural displays and foreign culture-themed merchandise.

Mason said there are several bands and dance groups in the works, but there are some already on the schedule, including the tribal Celtic group Tuatha Dea and Sankofa African Drum and Dance Company.

Some of the new groups include the Aztec drum and dance group, Guerreros Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dancers and Ras Alan and The Lions Appalachian Reggae.

Mason said the Burmese groups are confirmed but are not yet on the site. They represent five ethnic groups from the former Burma – Burmans, Shan, Karen, Karenni and Chin.

“The festival is a celebration of diversity for the entire family,” said Mason, adding that children’s activities will be emphasized this year.

Mason said the event will return to a full-capacity operation with booths this year, as opposed to the past two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available to guests who wish to use them.

The festival was completely virtual in 2020. Last year, it operated with an attendance capacity restriction and a vendor booth space limit.

“Last year, there was a slightly smaller crowd because of COVID, but this year, we will probably be closer to normal,” she said.

Mason said she expects 10,000 to 15,000 to attend and encourages guests to purchase their tickets online. She said festival organizers sometimes run flash sales for tickets on their Facebook page and will have at least one more.

Some virtual aspects will still be available to the public and can be found on the event’s website under the BGIF@Home link.

There, visitors can explore children’s activities, a 2021 virtual art show and virtual recipes and performances.

“It’s got stuff you can do on your own leading up to the festival,” Mason said. “It’s grown since the year we were virtual and we wanted to expand it and incorporate it so that it can be used today. It’s great for teachers and camps, as far as children’s activities go.”

Mason said coloring book pages, designed by local artist McKayla Cash and based on photographs from past festivals, will also be available under the link.

There will also be no shortage of vendors this year, with the vendor booths usually filling the park. Mason said they have even had to turn away vendors in the past.

“I will say that we have an unusual amount of food this year, more than we have ever had, and a lot of different kinds of food,” she said. “Food is an audience favorite and our participants seem to realize that as there are already more food booths to sign up than ever before and applications continue to come in.’

Some offerings include cuisine from the Mediterranean, Armenia, China, Caribbean, Mexico, Italy, Ukraine, Hungary, Myanmar, Senegal and Colombia.

A restaurant discount card is also available for purchase for $5 and has more than 30 restaurants where you save 10% every time you visit for one year.

Mason said a QR code has been added to this year’s card that shows more information about the participating restaurants.

A T-shirt design contest is open to anyone and Mason encourages all local artists to submit a design.

The selected design will become the festival T-shirt and the winner will receive a $150 honorarium.

The annual K-12 poster contest, divided by age groups, encourages young artists to design a poster about what the International Festival means to them, Mason said. The judges are Warren County Attorney Office staff members, and winners will be posted on the BGIF Facebook page.

Festival tickets are $10 at the door and $5 online. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bginternationalfest.com.