Salem’s award-winning World Beat Festival returns to Riverfront Park this weekend, June 27 to 29, with a focus on honoring Indigenous people and nations of the Americas.

Hosted by the Salem Multicultural Alliance, the festival features musical performances, storytelling, cultural demonstrations and food vendors from around the globe.

The theme, “Turtle Island: People of the Land,” is in memory of Warner Austin, an Eastern Cherokee leader who founded the social powwow at World Beat Festival in 2009.

A social powwow, distinct from a competitive powwow, focuses on intertribal connection. The social powwow at World Beat Festival emphasizes celebration and shared perspectives from various Indigenous groups.

When Austin died in 2019, questions arose about how the powwow would continue at World Beat. Kathleen Fish, a founder of the festival, said it was always clear that Austin’s granddaughter would carry on his tradition.

When planning for the 2025 festival, Savannah Soliz remembers her reaction to the idea of honoring her grandfather. “I was like ‘I love that idea, this is so amazing,’” she said. “Kathleen made sure we knew that this was something that would continue through our family.”

The theme of Turtle Island is connected to the festival’s broader goal of promoting cultural competency. “We’ve got such an amazing amalgamation of people from all over the world, that there’s a little bit of everything— how lucky are we?” Fish said. 

The event has been an annual attraction in Salem since 1997, when two Salem women, Fish and Mona Hayes witnessed persistent racial intolerance in the city and were determined to create a positive and tangible response.

Since that moment, the pair began preparing for the inaugural World Beat Festival, centered around sharing performances, stories and practices from diverse cultures around the world. In its 28th year, the mission remains intact.

“Everybody’s got a culture to share, and everybody has something to learn,” Fish said.

The festival runs Friday evening and full days Saturday and Sunday, filling Riverfront Park with mini “villages” that highlight food, wares and performers representing continents and geographic regions. Performances take place at both the park amphitheater and at smaller stages throughout the event.

World Beat Festival draws in global performers year after year. Lama Karma Rinpoche, a spiritual leader and retreat master in Bhutan, has performed or had a booth at the festival since 2006.

This year, Rinpoche is bringing along a group of eight artisans from Bhutan to showcase their talents through live demonstrations of intricate carpentry, painting, and sculpting. “Audiences will see people with personality,” Rinpoche said. “The work they are doing is very true from their heart.”

Whether you plan to attend the performances, interactive showcases or the dragon boats — here’s a guide to this year’s World Beat Festival.

Performers

Friday night marks the beginning of the festival and the first performances of the weekend. Over 70 unique performer groups representing a diverse range of global cultures are scheduled to take the stage. 

Headliners include: 

• Wamba (Portland-based world beat band) — Friday, 7:45 p.m., amphitheater stage
• Kalabharathi School of Dance (Bharathanatyam, an ancient South Indian dance form) — Saturday, 1:45 p.m., Asia Pacific West Stage
• Chervona (multi-ethnic Eastern European-inspired band) — Saturday, 6 p.m., amphitheater stage 
• Acosia Red Elk (10-time world champion jingle dancer and powwow yoga creator) — Saturday, 7 p.m., amphitheater stage 
• Supaman (MTV VMA award winner and Native American hip hop artist) — Saturday, 7:50 p.m., amphitheater stage 
• Pachanga (Afro-Latin band) — Sunday, 5 p.m., amphitheater stage

Performances will feature interactive elements including workshops, storytelling sessions, martial arts demonstrations and more. For most shows, audience participation is generally encouraged.

Social powwow

Maintaining the tradition of the World Beat Festival, a social powwow will take place just outside the north end gates. It’s removed from the rest of the festival to ensure that non-ticket holders can also attend. 

The social powwow prioritizes gathering and celebration, and all are welcome. There will be a focus on shared intertribal experiences, connecting to this year’s festival theme.

“Turtle Island is to represent that connection, that it’s this entire piece of land that belongs to the Indigenous people of this land,” said Soliz, the powwow’s organizer this year. “And there is no separation, be it border or otherwise — it’s our land of these people.”

Social powwow hours:

• Saturday: 12 – 5 p.m. 
• Sunday: 12 – 3:30 p.m.

Dragon Boat races

Competitive dragon boat racing will take place on the Willamette River with 20 boats competing.

The races can be viewed from the park without paying admission to the festival. Two qualifying heats will compete for semifinals and finals.

Watch races Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Semifinals and final rounds will begin at 1:15 p.m.

Family activities

The full festival kicks off on Saturday morning with the children’s parade at 10 a.m. There, kids receive a World Passport that they can bring to explore cultural crafts and games, and track their activities throughout the weekend. 

Children’s storytelling sessions 

• Japanese folk stories on Saturday at noon, Filipino folktales on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., both at the Asia Pacific East Children’s Tent. 
• Native American stories with Jessi Soliz at multiple times, both days in the Americas section

Hands-on workshops

• Drumming with Nii Ardey Saturday at noon at the amphitheater
• Painting ornaments with Corazón Adventures Sunday at 2:45 p.m. (limited to the first 20 people) in the Americas section
• Martial arts demonstrations with Wolfpack ATA Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and Karate for Kids Saturday at 11:30 p.m., both in the Asia Pacific East section

There will be an international parade, where kids and families are encouraged to wear traditional dress, on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. If kids are lost or separated, they’ll be taken to the first aid booth.

Vendors and exhibitions 

This weekend, almost 100 exhibitors and 20 food booths will be at World Beat Festival, representing over 70 nations and cultures. Booths and exhibitions are focused on authentic cultural experiences with vendors who promote intercultural understanding

• Artisans from Bhutan will present live demos of traditional weaving, sculpting and painting on Saturday at 2:45 p.m.
• African gele head wrap tying Saturday at 1:45 p.m.
• Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Beer & wine garden hours

Friday: 5 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saturday: 12 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to remove a tribal affiliation for Warner Austin after receiving additional information from his family after publication. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.

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