WorldFest celebrates diversity, with a lot of fun

At last year's WorldFest on The Belvedere, people from all over the world marched and waved flags in the Parade of Culture. (Credit: Pam Spaulding)

In its sixth year, WorldFest features more drinking and dancing than ever, plus the return of an old favorite -- Strassenfest.

The two-day festival, which kicks off today at 11 a.m., is the staging ground for the grand re-introduction of Strassenfest Germany, a festival that used to be held on streets in downtown Louisville and plans to return to the city in 2009, said Rebecca Brenzel, public information specialist for the Neighborhoods department at Louisville Metro Government.

To mark the comeback of the old favorite, chefs from Sullivan University's culinary arts program will be serving up bratwurst, dumplings and German potato salad; a band will belt out German tunes; and the daring will enter dance competitions.

But if a big Pilsner is not your drink of choice, there will be plenty of other ways to quench your thirst, including flights of white wine, red wine, whiskey and tequila. The flights cost $15 and include an expert analysis of the drinks.

Gotta go back to the office in the afternoon and need something to keep you perky? Not to worry, there also will be coffee flights, which include information on where the coffee comes from, industry news, a can of coffee and a $5 coupon for Java Brewing Co.

The musical offerings will be just as varied as the drinks, with 42 music and dance bands performing everything from Mexican folk to Chinese. There is "pretty much something from every continent," said Brenzel.

But the performers are largely local; only four of the featured bands come from out of town. While the salsa bands have come from Chicago and Cincinnati in recent years, said Brenzel, this year three of them are from around Louisville, reflecting what WorldFest is all about -- celebrating Louisville's changing demographics.

Half of the city's population growth now comes from international residents, according to Metro government. Evidence of this change can be found in the naturalization ceremony of more than 600 Louisville residents from more than 90 countries at 2 p.m. today in the convention center.

"We always encourage people, if they've never been to one, to go out and see one of those, because it's really touching and it only lasts an hour," said Brenzel.

With these new people come new foods, some of which chef Nancy Russman will be showcasing in cooking demonstrations of African, Caribbean and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Switching to the other side of the world, Fiesta Latina will offer a celebration of Latin American culture.

The festivities will end Saturday at 11 p.m., but the international party will continue throughout the year, said Brenzel.

"The weekend after this is the Italian festival, the weekend after that is the Irish festival and then the German festival and then India …"