Melody Ding, Contributing Photographer

By Melody Ding

Vendors and public from the New Haven area enjoyed a day of excitement and community bonding at the International Cultural Arts Fusion Festival on Saturday, Aug. 24. Attendees, enthusiastic for more large-scale cultural events, are navigating the challenges of marketing to such a large population. 

Over 20 restaurants, art vendors and performers around Connecticut brought their cultures to Edgewood Park for the festival. Restaurant owners sold traditional cuisines including Turkish, Mexican, Jamaican and Thai food from stands and food trucks. Southeast Asian and Ethiopian artists displayed handmade jewelry and patterned fabric; performers took the stage with open mic performances and traditional dances. 

“I heard a lot of people are joining in the area. This festival brings people from all over the world together. And I wanted to be part of it,” said Selim Ergin, the owner of Turkish Kebab House in West Haven. 

Selim was selling shish and kofte kebabs and baklava at his stand and offered complimentary hummus, haydari, and babagannoush. After moving from Turkey in 1997, Selim first worked in a Turkish restaurant in New York and then opened two restaurants of his own in Connecticut.

Other restaurants are also seizing the opportunity to offer their cultural dishes. Taneisha and her husband are in their second year of bringing Jamaican food to the annual festival. 

“The best part of running a restaurant is meeting people,” said Taneisha, whose storefront in New Haven has been in operation for four years. Her restaurant frequently has visitors from Jamaica, the US, the UK and countries across Asia. 

Besides food, the festival is also a place for cultural art vendors. Joleen, whose company sells handmade jewelry from Southeast Asia, enjoys sharing the Southeast Asian cultural system with the New Haven community. 

“Everyone is so excited about knowing where these jewelry comes from and the story behind them,” says Joleen Lee. Joleen’s company, Indiigo Culture, originally started in Singapore but moved to the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In addition to vendors exhibiting individual cultures, interactive events bring global cultures together and encourage people to embrace their own cultures. Leah, a local high school student, manages a stand for face painting national flags. Festival attendees can choose their own country’s flag, and Leah helps paint it on their faces. 

“I wanted to bring all races, nationalities, classes and people together,” says Barbara Alexander, the program director. “I wanted people to learn and be empowered about their own cultures and teaching others so we can appreciate one another’s cultures and values.” 

Alexander is the founder of Arts in CT, a nonprofit organization providing arts programs for diverse communities. Arts in CT coordinates the International Cultural Arts Fusion Festival annually in New Haven. 

Vendors and attendees praise New Haven for its “excellent mix of cultures.” Selim says he meets people from all around the world in the city. “I get to see a guy from India and a guy from Albania.” 

Schools host frequent events for this diverse range of cultures. Leah has brought Afghanistan cuisine to school culture days, dressed in traditional Afghan clothes, and taught her peers about Afghan clothing and ornaments. 

Residents hope for more large-scale cultural events celebrating this diverse mix of cultures. Joleen praises New Haven’s Lunar New Year decorations and says she’d like to see more of such celebrations for different cultures. 

Leah also says she is excited for more cultural events to be hosted outside of school. 

Nicole, a former New Haven resident who recently moved to Massachusetts, recognizes New Haven’s “inspiration and desire” to host community cultural gatherings. However, Nicole also notes the challenge of marketing such events on a wide scale. 

Lisa, one of Alexander’s colleagues at Arts in CT, also identifies marketing as the major challenge for hosting this state-wide event. 

Arts in CT is addressing this challenge by starting early. Alexander’s colleagues call her “extremely active” around Connecticut, trying to get notice about the festival out months in advance. Joleen says Barbara contacted her during a previous fair on New Haven Green. 

Alexander is also using social media to spread the word. Mindy saw Arts in CT’s Facebook post and decided to take her daughter Story over to the festival. 

Arts in CT hosts many other community events, such as Thursday karaoke nights at the Westville Diner. “This is about bringing community together,” says Barbara. 

“This event makes the next one possible,” says Alexander. 

In addition to a community gathering, the international culture fusion festival is a fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to text “Artsfest” to 53555 and donate for similar events in the future.