2025 Holiay Folk Fair International

The 82nd Holiday Folk Fair International will be held Fri., Nov. 21 – Sun., Nov. 23, 2025, at the Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis.

A program of the International Institute of Wisconsin (IIW), Holiday Folk Fair International celebrates the cultural heritage of the people living in southeastern Wisconsin. This year’s theme, “Celebrate the Culture of Traditional Music,” will allow Fairgoers to explore how traditional music represents one’s cultural heritage.

“Traditional music is a tool for the expression of a culture and its beliefs, history, and values,” said Dr. Paul F. Trebian, President and CEO of the IIW. “While the world exhibits a wide array of traditional music, sound is a universal form of human expression. Music is a common language that unites us all.

“Our strength comes from celebrating similarities and differences. The Holiday Folk Fair International continues to build bridges among cultural communities, groups, and people,” said Trebian. “For 82 years, it has been a keeper of our world’s living heritage, safeguarding the past, honoring the present, and embracing the future. It provides an opportunity for cultures from all over the world to showcase their traditions, music, dress, and languages that are unique and meaningful to them, that call them together, and that celebrate their stories.”

For the 2025 event, the featured food will be Celebratory Cultural Foods. “Food is social. In all areas of the world, humans use food as a tool to bond, socialize, and connect,” Trebian said. “Foods and recipes passed down from generation to generation are about more than just nutrition; they are living links to cultural heritage and traditions. Food is symbolic of celebration and an integral part of any celebration in many cultures.

“There’s nothing that brings people together like food. It’s the vessel that helps introduce people from different backgrounds and helps us understand one another.”

Special attractions include invited international performers and artisans, photographic exhibits, cultural murals produced by Milwaukee Public Schools students, the Artisan Corner, the Dirty Kettle Native American interactive display, the Wisconsin Woodturners, a Children’s Area, a bonsai exhibit, a Naturalization Ceremony on Nov. 21, a Youth Chess Tournament on Nov. 22, and an Interdenominational Religious Service on Nov. 23.

The three-day event features the All Nations Theater with traditional music and dance; the World Café offering traditional dishes; the Tanzhauz, where attendees dance and sing along with a variety of musical stylings; the Coffee House, where patrons enjoy a beverage and baked goods while listening to talented musicians; Heritage Lane with unique traditions and customs through interactive exhibits; the International Bazaar, where cultural artifacts create a unique shopping experience; and the American Culinary Federation Chef’s Stage presented by TightSeal Exteriors and Baths featuring local chefs preparing traditional cuisine.

Hours will be 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 21; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 22; and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 23. Advance tickets are available at https://folkfair.org/admission/ – $13 each for those eight years old to age 61, $12 for those age 62 and up. For orders of 20 or more tickets, the cost is $11 per ticket.

Admission at the gate will be $16 for ages 8 – 61, with children up to age seven admitted at no charge. Those 62 and over will be admitted for $14, and all military personnel with a military ID card will be admitted free. For more information on the 2025 Holiday Folk Fair International, visit www.folkfair.org or call 414-225-6225.

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