29-05-2025
Experience 30 countries without leaving Wisconsin at West Bend's Global Fest June 28-29
Anyone who lives in the Milwaukee area should consider traveling to West Bend for the city's newest event, Global Fest, encouraged Noelle Braun, Downtown West Bend Association executive director.
Braun said she is "super proud" Milwaukee features so many festivals and cultures in the summer, but now West Bend will have its own cultural festival. "We are excited to celebrate cultures and celebrations around the world," she said.
Global Fest will take place 2 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 28, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 29. The festival includes food, entertainment, craft and other vendors.
Braun said more than 30 nations will be represented for these two days, including Afghanistan, Morocco, Ecuador, Ghana, Germany and France.
Entertainment at Global Fest in West Bend will include singers, dance groups and other kinds of authentic music.
This includes Adzrowo African Drumming (Ghana), Chinese Lion Dancers, Kojo (a Jamaican Reggae band); Ometochtli Mexican Folk Dance; and Na Hale Studios: Angle & Malia (authentic Hawaiian music and dance).
The entertainment will be at Old Settlers Park, 200 N. Main St., West Bend.
On Saturday, there will be samples of international food for purchase from restaurants in downtown West Bend. These include food from Dooley's (Belgium); The Outbreak (Japan); The Norbert (Morocco), Brazen Head Pub (Ireland) and Gary's Place (Germany).
On Sunday, there will be food trucks featuring food from different countries that include Fanna's on the Fly (the Netherlands); Sacred Bean Coffee Co. (Ecuador), Bowl & Batter (France and Germany) and No Pork on Your Fork (Middle Eastern).
Braun said the vendors at Global Fest will feature items from other countries and fair trade items.
For instance, one vendor, Sarwat Najib whose business is called Shamla Atelier fled her country, Afghanistan in 2021 and opened her design firm in Stevens Point. She creates high fashion dresses that mixed fashion from her country with Western fashion, according to the Stevens Point Journal.
She will be one of the vendors on Sunday. Other vendors will feature items including African drums, India fabrics and spices, seasonings, teas and fair trade items from around the world.
Global Fest also will have a raffle for a $1,000 travel voucher and a passport scavenger hunt.
"We want people to discover West Bend," Braun said. "It's wonderful and welcoming."
For more information, visit
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Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or Follow her on Twitter at @kozlowicz_cathy.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: West Bend's Global Fest to celebrate cultures from around the world
