When it was announced earlier this year that planning for the International Institute of St. Louis’ annual Festival of Nations was on pause due to the loss of over half its federal funding, the local community and donors responded first with dismay — and then, with support.
“The outcry of, ‘You're not going to not have the festival, are you?’ started ringing around all the spaces that we were in,” said Terry Bates, director of marketing and communications at the International Institute of St. Louis.
As a nonprofit, the organization leans on federal funding for the services it provides to refugee and immigrant families. Leaders at the institute navigated government cuts to keep up with their work. And while Festival of Nations is funded by sponsors and donations rather than government grants, the federal cuts still shaped how the institute managed its resources and planned the event.
To ensure that the institute can continue its core mission of supporting refugees and immigrants who come to St. Louis, organizers have focused on booking local performing artists this year.
“It's important to showcase what St. Louis has to offer for being a welcoming culture. We've [got] different artists from all over the world, but have a St. Louis tie. Most of them are from St. Louis, like Farshid Etniko [and] dozens of artists from all over St. Louis who have been here over the course of at least 20 years, but are still multicultural in what they bring to our city,” Bates said, adding that this summer’s lineup of music and vendors represents nearly 80 countries.
Festival of Nations returns to Tower Grove Park this Saturday and Sunday. With some luck, this weekend will be cooler than recent weeks. But if temperatures stay high, the festival has you covered.
“There is going to be a cooling bus provided,” Bates said. As a 20-year fan of the festival he suggests bringing a chair, going with a group and getting situated strategically. “A shady area, in my experience, is the best way to go. You find a tree somewhere, the wind will pick up. And get yourself a nice cold lemonade,” he said.
For more about the International Institute of St. Louis’ work and how Festival of Nations reflects it, and the history of the festival itself, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: 2025 Festival of Nations
When: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Aug. 23 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 24
Where: Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, MO 63116
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
