Kansas City’s Ethnic Enrichment Festival

One of the things I love the most about traveling is tasting the unique cuisine from different countries and regions around the world. The Ethnic Enrichment Festival held annually in Kansas City has been my escape to experience a small part of many of the countries I’m longing to explore. The Ethnic Enrichment Festival is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country and features more than 60 different countries selling their native foods, crafts and performing ethnic music and dances. Booths line the event representing the unique cultures of countries from across the globe.

A pavilion is situated in the middle of the event and features a demonstration from the many countries represented at the festival. The demonstrations range from traditional dances to music and singing that symbolize the cultures and traditions of each country.

This festival is the perfect way to get exposed to a variety of different cultures and foods from around the world without leaving the comfort of home. I love the opportunity to taste the cuisine from countries that I’m considering trips to because I can get a better idea of what to expect once I get there. Plus, tasting the native cuisine gets me even more excited for future adventures to far away lands. On the flip side, this festival is the easiest way for me to feast on all my favorite dishes from the countries I have visited. There’s no way you’ll catch me leaving the festival without devouring a nutella crepe from France and patatas bravas from Spain (just a couple of my favorites).

The festival is held in Swope Park and the venue offers free parking with an event admission fee of $3 for adults and free for children 12 and under. The different booths determine prices for the food and crafts that are sold representing the various countries. This event is the perfect opportunity for families to explore cultures unfamiliar to their own. The children are offered a “passport” when entering the festival which can be used to collect passport stamps from the many countries represented at the festival.

If you’ve been itching to travel but can’t make it happen at the moment, then definitely make plans to check out the Ethnic Enrichment Festival each August in Kansas City. Spend an afternoon sampling delicious dishes from around the world while watching traditional dances and demonstrations performed on the festival stage.

Have you experienced Kansas City’s Ethnic Enrichment Festival? What is your favorite travel related festival?