DES MOINES, Iowa — The World Food & Music Festival brought cooks and performers from around the world to share a piece of their home with Des Moines this weekend.
Forty food vendors representing 25 different countries shared delicious cuisines at Western Gateway Park for the festival, but it wasn't just about the tasty treats. Musicians and performers like Annalyn Vida shared their culture with the community too.
"We have a good community of Filipinos here in Iowa, but we're not as big, so it's a really great opportunity," Vida said.
Joan Namacheno, owner of Josina's Supplies, agreed. Namacheno sells handmade crafts from Kenya and Uganda, and she said she saw support from some unexpected places.
"Other vendors, the customers and the music guys from the Wailers yesterday got some of my shirts, and they used that on stage," Namacheno said. "And that was really nice."
Namacheno also told Local 5 that after missing the festival for a year due to COVID, she's seen great vendorsall three days and is looking forward to returning next year.
The presence of so many different cultures also provided an opportunity for attendees to appreciate what they had in common.
"When you learn about other cultures, you don't realize how similar you can be," Vida said. "It could be from different continents, like Asia and Africa, but there's so many things about us that are so similar."
Watch: 50 people become citizens at World Food and Music Festival