After a two-year hiatus, California WorldFest is back. The Meadow stage came alive Thursday night with a poignant reflection on the land the festival is held on, showing reverence and acknowledgement of the Indigenous Peoples who came before us and who were displaced from their land. WorldFest runs through the weekend at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Tickets and lineup here.
“The purpose of WorldFest is to celebrate cultural and musical diversity. That’s why we wish to spotlight the incredible value of traditional art created by indigenous cultures here in California and around the globe. The Peoples Village hosts events, performances, ceremonies and more to promote awareness of, and appreciation for, indigenous culture. Special thanks to the Nisenan Tribe, the indigenous people upon whose sacred land we hold the festival.”
Acts on opening night included local favorites, The Mankillers & Friends, esteemed Akwesane / Mohawk Singer and Songwriter Theresa Bear Fox, from New York, The Mexica of East LA, and Indigenous Hip Hop artist, Indigenous Warrior.
Early birds on the festival’s opening day joined hands for a dancing circle led by The Mankillers and Friends. For the re-emergence of the festival after 2 years of the pandemic, festival organizers provided hand sanitizer to balance the coming together of the Nevada County community with the awareness that new Covid variants are still present.
Check out the lineup for California WorldFest, July 14th -17th, at www.worldfest.net. Big shout out to all the volunteers who make this possible!
Founded by Dan DeWayne and Christine Myers in 1997, WorldFest came under the umbrella of Grass Valley’s arts powerhouse, The Center for the Arts, in 2015.