Norwalk NICE Festival



If you are looking for something fun to do in Norwalk this summer, head over to the NICE Festival! This is an event that was started by the Norwalk International Cultural Exchange, which is what NICE stands for. It will be taking place on Saturday July 6 from 11:00 AM-10:00 PM at Oyster Shell Park. Its main purpose is to encourage the various groups that make up society to learn about each other’s traditions and customs in order to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of what each group brings to our community. There is a variety of music being performed there, vendor tents, and food trucks. I am going to share with you all the various things they have announced for the event this year, and what they have had in the past for things they have not yet announced. 

The main stage will have a number of performances throughout the day. From 1:00-1:50, there will be a Latin/Americana fusion performance. From 2:00-2:45, there will be a performance called Pluck & Rail with Andrew Sussman, which is bluegrass/Americana. From 2:50-3:00, there will be a short performance from Vani Nidadavolu, who will be performing Indian classical. From 3:00-4:00, there will be a drum exchange performance, which will feature African music, Japanese music, and Afro-Cuban music. From 4:00-4:10, Vani Nidadavolu will come back on stage for another short performance. From 4:15-5:00, there will be a jazz performance from the Mike Camacho Quintet, which is a tribute act to Horace Silver. From 5:00-5:15, there will be a short Argentinian folk dance performance from Rio De la Plata. From 5:15-5:45, there will be a performance from Caribbean folk group Tambulatty. From 5:50-6:00, there will be a short dance performance from CEBU Filipino Group. From 6:00-7:00, there will be a performance from Mariachi Mexico Antiguo with Tere Luna. From 7:00-8:00, there will be a Latin salsa performance from Orquesta Afinke. The last show on the main stage will go from 8:30-10:00 and will be reggae band Kumar & the Original Fyah.

There will also be a smaller stage called the Child of the World stage that will also have a few performances throughout the day. From 11:30-12:30, there will be a drum circle led by someone named Theo Martey. From 12:30-12:45, there will be a short Chinese dance performance. From 12:55-1:10, there will be a short Thai dance performance. From 1:10-1:20, there will be a short Filipino folk dance from CEBU Filipino Group. From 1:20-1:30, there will be another short Chinese dance performance. From 1:30-2:30, there will be a European/American performance called Barn Dance with Billy Fischer. From 2:30-3:00, there will be a Chinese performance called Face Changing of Sichuan Opera. From 3:00-3:15, there will be a short Argentinian folk performance from Rio De la Plata. From 3:15-3:30, there will be a short performance from Vani Nidadavolu & kids, who will be doing an Indian children dance. From 3:30-3:45, there will be a short performance of Indian Bollywood dances with Yashasvi & Friends. From 3:45-4:00, there will be a short Thai dance performance from Anuruk Thai Dance Association. From 4:00-4:30, there will be a performance from Anacaona Hatian Dancers. From 4:45-5:30, there will be one final performance on this stage, which is from indie pop singer Kayla Rae. 

The website does not say what vendors that they are going to have this year, and I couldn’t find anything on any websites, so I had to look at their old social media posts to find anything on previous vendors. Most of the vendors they have sell international crafts and jewelry, and I also remember that some of them sold toys. One of these vendors is the Center for Contemporary Printmaking, which provided free demonstrations on how they make their artwork. Another vendor that has been there was Megs Artisans, which makes and sells sustainable accessories and decorations inspired by the culture of Colombia. 

There are also a lot of options for food there, and I was able to find some of the previous options on social media and YouTube, which I feel should give you all a good idea of the type of food they usually have there. The first one that I found was Bes’Dam Soup from Melville, New York, which sells a variety of soups like lobster bisque, New England clam chowder, and Italian wedding soup. The next one that I found was a food truck from Fairfield called SWAT, which stands for Southern Wings and Things, and sells wings, burgers, hot dogs, ribs, and fries. The next one that I found was a Dominican restaurant called Sonia’s Kitchen. The next one that I found was a Jamaican food vendor that sold food like jerk chicken, jerk pork, oxtail, and curry. One food option that I remember being there when I went was popular food truck Cousin’s Maine Lobster.

Overall, there are many amazing things to see and many cultures for you to learn about at this event. So, when July comes, head over to Oyster Shell Park in Norwalk for the NICE Festival!


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