The International Festival of Raleigh takes place annually and is held at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, North Carolina . This year it was during the last week of October.This festival is a celebration of the various cultures and ethnic diversities of the Triangle (the cities of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill are also referred to as the Triangle) showcasing the culture and diversities of more than fifty plus different countries.There are many booths which exhibits the culture, art and crafts, heritage of many countries around the world .You will also find varieties of cuisines , desserts and cafe stalls, traditional and cultural performances from many countries with the dancers adorning beautiful costumes.There are fun activities for kids like face-painting, story telling and games.There are also booths for classes on international cooking, dance and crafts .I have been going to this festival for a couple of years now .My daughter took part in  a traditional Indian dance this year and we had a great experience being there. It is wonderful to try out some great cuisines and desserts .Some of the popular ones are the Greek baklava sundae, Filipino fried banana rolls, Dutch desserts, Brazilian cheese bread , Indian samosas, macaroons from France, Thai iced tea etc .There were more than 20 booths for various kinds of food itself. In a nutshell, this festival is a family friendly, not overly crowded , has delicious food and an informative place to learn about various cultures and have some great fun. The admission is less than ten dollars and there is abundant parking around the convention center .Here are some candid photographs .Hope you enjoy and make plans to visit  this festival next year if you are around this area!

Exhibits from Philippines

Diwali booth

Thailand booth

Raleigh International Festival

colorful costume

Another booth

Booth displaying culture of Iraqi culture

Delicacies at the Raleigh International Festival

Scottish Dance

Colorful exhibits

Food stalls and exhibits

Colorful Booth from Nepal

Dancers with beautiful traditional costumes

Semi classical Indian dance

Dancers with traditional costumes

Scottish Dance

Flags of different countries

Stage performances of songs from India

Raleigh International Festival

The view from the upper level shows the organized booths and stages