Lunar New Year Celebration
In collaboration with the Taubman Museum of Art, this family friendly event hosts performances, martial arts demonstrations, and fun activities for the kids. Join us to celebrate the year of the snake. Admission is free!
2025 Local Colors Festival
Come experience the many different cultures from around the world that are represented in Southwest Virginia. Join us for a day of performances, cuisine, artisan booths, cultural displays, and kids activities. Learn more by clicking below. Sign up to participate to show off your culture!
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
Come celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us and experience the rich, diverse cultures of Latin America. There will be performances, educational segments, food, artisan crafts, Latino owned businesses, and community services represented. A free event for the whole family to enjoy. Go to the event page for more details.
Celebration of African Cultures
Experience the rich vibrancy of African cultures in an outdoor fair that will feature performances, vendors, fashion, and food. Go to the event page for more details.
2024 Local Colors Festival
Come experience the many different ethnic heritages represented in Southwest Virginia for a day of performances, cuisine, artisan booths, cultural displays, and kids activities. Sign up to participate to show off your culture!
Nowruz (Persian New Year) Celebration
Join us on March 9th for a special spring festival that is celebrated in the Afghan, Iranian, and other Central Asian communities. Come experience the Nowruz traditions, enjoy some food and traditional music and participate in dance. There will be some fun activities for the kids, too!
Lunar New Year Celebration
In collaboration with the Taubman Museum of Art, this family friendly event hosts performances, martial arts demonstrations, and fun activities for the kids. Join us to celebrate the year of the dragon. Admission is free!
Celebration of African Cultures
Join Local Colors and CommUnity Arts Reach for an evening of food, performances, artisan crafts and more of vibrant African cultures. Admission is free!
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
Come celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us and experience the rich, diverse cultures of Latin America. There will be performances, educational segments, food, artisan crafts, Latino owned businesses, and community services represented. A free event for the whole family to enjoy.
2023 Local Colors Festival
Come experience the many different ethnic heritages represented in Southwest Virginia for a day of performances, cuisine, artisan booths, cultural displays, and kids activities. Sign up to participate to show off your culture!
Nowruz (Persian New Year) Celebration
Join us on March 18th for a special spring festival that is celebrated in the Afghan, Iranian, and other Central Asian communities. Come experience the Nowruz traditions, enjoy some food and music and participate in dance. There will be some fun activities for the kids, too!
2023 Lunar New Year Celebration
A collaboration with the Taubman Museum of Art, this family friendly event hosts performances, martial arts demonstrations, and fun activities for the kids. Join us to celebrate the year of the rabbit. Admission is free!
A Celebration of African Cultures
A collaboration with CommUnity Arts Reach presents an evening of African cultures with food, performances, storytelling and fashion. Join us for this family-friendly event. Admission is free.
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
Join us for our 3rd annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Wells Fargo Plaza in downtown Roanoke. Hispanic Heritage. The multifaceted cultural heritages of Latin America will be on display through a 3 hour stage program of dance, music, storytelling, and other features that honor the rich contributions of the Hispanic population. Vendor booths representing the diversity of Latin American culture will be on hand with food, arts & crafts, cultural displays and community services. It’s a big block party full of Hispanic flavor!
Local Colors Festival
Local Colors, Roanoke’s largest FREE multicultural festival, makes its return to downtown’s Elmwood Park on May 21st. Our festival celebrates the many ethnic cultures in the Roanoke Valley region in an atmosphere of diversity and inclusion.
Taste the dishes of many international cuisines, watch the vivid dance and music performances, learn about different cultures from several exhibits/vendors and create international crafts in the children’s area. It’s a free family-friendly way to celebrate the bright tapestry that makes Roanoke a welcoming city.
Nowruz Celebration
Local Colors is excited to bring this new event to the Roanoke Valley, in collaboration with the City of Roanoke and Blue Ridge Literacy. Nowruz, also known as Persian New Year, is a spring festival that is celebrated in Afghanistan, Iran, and many other countries across Central Asia. Join us for cuisine, music, and some good story telling.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Celebrate Lunar New Year, Year of the Tiger, with dragon dances, martial arts performances, singing and more! Bring the whole family out to learn about the cultural traditions of our Asian friends and neighbors right here in southwest Virginia at the Taubman Museum of Art!
From meeting the performers to creating your own Year of the Tiger-themed artwork, this is a fun, FREE event you don’t want to miss!
Lunar New Year is presented by Local Colors, Roanoke Valley Sister Cities, and the Taubman Museum of Art.
No registration necessary -- walk-ins encouraged!
Festival Steering Committee Info Meeting
We are recruiting members for our Festival Steering Committee. This is the key group that organizes the Local Colors Festival in May. Do you like event planning? Have skills to contribute? Come on out to hear more about how you can help.
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
Hispanic Heritage Month pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our society in so many ways. Our celebratory event will feature performances, food, educational opportunities, cultural displays, and businesses serving the Hispanic community.
Admission is free! Bring a chair and desire to experience Hispanic culture. (Located at the corner of Salem Ave. and Market St. SE.)
2021 Local Colors Festival
To ensure safety for attendees and participants, we are modifying the festival to include an in-person event on May 15th and a virtual component. The event will feature food, displays, children’s activities, live music, a scavenger hunt, and yes, our beer garden!
NOTE NEW LOCATION: RIVERS EDGE PARK NORTH, RESERVE AVENUE
Click for more information on vendors, performances, and the scavenger hunt.
Freedom First's Local Colors Cultural Pursuit Scavenger Hunt
Local Colors is BACK and we're celebrating our 30th year with an awesome new offering: the CULTURAL PURSUIT scavenger hunt!
Join virtually as a team or individual to compete for prizes while experiencing different cultures through tasks, trivia, and GPS check-ins. The scavenger hunt will take place from May 1st to May 15th!
Click to learn how to play.